Latvia finds Russian ships and submarines near its borders
During the weekend and on Monday, the Armed Forces of Latvia repeatedly documented the presence of warships and submarines of the Russian Federation near the borders of the country. The National Armed Forces of Latvia said on Twitter that “a Russian Kilo-class submarine was discovered on the 18th of April, 2016 at the distance of 21 nautical miles from the border of Latvia.”
On the day before, the Armed Forces recorded a sighting of a Russian Guard frigate in the exclusive economic zone of Latvia at a distance of 23 nautical miles as well as a technical support ship for the "Chestnut" submarine at a distance of 25 nautical miles. On Saturday, the frigate and submarine were observed 12 nautical miles away from Latvia.
As was previously reported, with the beginning of the conflict in Ukraine and the deterioration of relations with the West, Russian ships and aircraft have strayed increasingly close to the borders of the Baltic States. In 2015, Russian military aircraft were found near the borders of Latvia more than 270 times.
The Baltic States and the UK have repeatedly stated that the flights of Russian aircraft at the borders were a show of strength and a test of NATO’s reactions.