Media: Russia is strengthening its military presence in the Baltics
According to the Russian Izvestia newspaper, Russia is reinforcing its Baltic fleet with a division of small Buyan-M type missile corvettes equipped with Kalibr cruise missiles. In addition a new coastal defense brigade equipped with Bastion and Bal missile systems will be deployed in Kaliningrad.
Russian military experts believe that these modern weapon systems will allow for the strengthening of defense around the Kaliningrad region in the view of the increased NATO military presence in the Baltics. According to Izvestia, the first two missile corvettes, Zeleny Dol and Serpukhov, are already on their way to Baltics from the Black Sea. Three more ships are being built and will be delivered to the new flotilla by 2020.
“The formation of the new corvettes division within the Baltic Fleet and a new coastal defense brigade has already begun,“ an informed source in the Russian Ministry of Defense told Izvestia. “We are planning g to complete the process in the next 2-3 years. The new navy units have already received the missiles systems and ships,” he added
According to the Director of Russian Center for Strategy and Technology Analysis, Ruslan Pastuhov, the deployment of the new missile systems combined with the new small rocket ships equipped with Kalibr cruse missiles will not only significantly reinforce the defense potential of the Kaliningrad region but will also be an asymmetrical response to the increased presence of NATO forces in the Baltics.