Germany and its NATO allies are holding large-scale military drills in the Baltic Sea to practice deterring a potential enemy attack in the region.
German Rear Admiral Stephan Haisch said that with the “Northern Coasts 2023” naval exercise, they would like to demonstrate their commitment to the security of allies in the region.
“Since the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine, our NATO partners in the Baltics, as well as Finland and Poland, feel under threat, the threat has become real,” he said on social media platform X.
“Therefore, we are carrying out the Northern Coasts 2023 naval exercise off the coasts of Estonia and Latvia, this is a deliberate choice, and a strong message from us,” he stressed.
During the drills, which began on Saturday, participating naval forces are practicing interoperability and various military tactics, and testing new technical systems.
Some 30 warships and 3,200 military personnel from over a dozen nations are taking part in the maneuvers, which will last for two weeks.
Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Poland, the US, and NATO invitee Sweden are among the participating countries.
