Two Russian Steregushchiy-class corvettes conclude their deployment in Baltic Sea.

According to information published by ВМФ России on September 7, 2023, two Steregushchiy class corvettes Soobrazitelny and Boikiy have concluded their 11-day operation in the vicinity of Scandinavian and British waters.
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Project 20380 corvettes Soobrazitelny and Boikiy. (Picture source: drikus)

After passing through the Great Belt Strait, the vessels are on their way back to their home ports. In light of the upcoming "Northern Coasts 2023" exercises, these ships will continue their operations in different parts of the Baltic, in proximity to those NATO exercises.

Context

The Baltic Sea, stretching from Denmark's Jutland peninsula to the Arctic Circle, has long been a theater of naval power. Its strategic position, linking countries like Sweden, Finland, Estonia, and Latvia, has historically made it a hotspot for naval maneuvers and geopolitical interests.

The Baltic Sea's relatively compact waters, covering approximately 377,000 square kilometers, are bordered by countries with evolving alliances. NATO members, including Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, and now Finland, share the coastline. Sweden, on the cusp of NATO membership, and Russia, with its strategically positioned exclave of Kaliningrad, also have notable presences.

Recent years have witnessed heightened Russian naval activities, encompassing submarine deployments and the modernization of the Kaliningrad naval base.

NOCO Exercises

Northern Coasts is an annual multinational naval exercise conducted in the Baltic Sea, aimed at enhancing interoperability and strengthening naval cooperation among participating nations.

In the 2021 edition, the exercise involved nearly 2,000 personnel and 28 vessels from 15 nations, emphasizing combined naval operations. The training spanned the southern Baltic Sea, particularly along the Swedish coast of Blekinge to Skåne, focusing on naval combat, anti-submarine warfare, and mine clearance.

By 2022, the Northern Coasts exercise saw participation from Germany, France, and Estonia with their respective warships assembling in Klaipėda Seaport. The exercise encompassed various naval maneuvers, including tactical elements and EO detection and neutralization.