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Defense News February 3, 2010 Estonia Monitors Rise In Russian Naval Activity By GERARD O'DWYER -The "increasing presence" of NATO and the United States in the Baltic Sea also contributes to the increased Russian activity...Russia has warned the United States of possible conflicts should it deploy anti-missile ships in the Baltic. HELSINKI: Estonia's Military Intelligence Unit (MIU) is reporting an increased level of Russian naval activity in the Baltic Sea, noting an escalation in patrols and large-scale naval exercises involving Russia's North Sea and Black Sea fleets. The higher level of Russian naval activity, detailed in an updated MIU report to the Ministry of Defense (MoD), comes as Russia plans construction of gas pipelines across the Baltic Sea to feed mainland European gas networks. The MIU report notes the strategic importance of the Zapad and Ladoga naval exercises by the Russian Navy last year, which were carried out in the large area between the Belarus-Lithuania border and the St. Petersburg region. The report to the MoD describes both exercises as "the most ambitious, resourced and strategic" naval maneuvers since the end of the Cold War. The report observes that a greater Russian naval presence in the Baltic Sea can be expected as the country scales up military resources to protect its oil and gas interests in the region. The Zapad and Ladoga exercises centered on the deployment of torpedo ships, anti-aircraft missile systems and anti-submarine weapons. The MIU reports that funds will be made available in 2010-14 to modernize Russia's Baltic fleet, which is significantly smaller than its Northern, Pacific and Black Sea fleets. The "increasing presence" of NATO and the United States in the Baltic Sea also contributes to the increased Russian activity, according to the MIU report. Russia has warned the United States of possible conflicts should it deploy anti-missile ships in the Baltic. =========================== Stop NATO http://groups.yahoo.com/group/stopnato Blog site: http://rickrozoff.wordpress.com/ To subscribe, send an e-mail to: rwroz...@yahoo.com or stopnato-subscr...@yahoogroups.com Daily digest option available. ============================== --------------------------- ANTI-NATO INFORMATION LIST --^---------------------------------------------------------------- This email was sent to: arch...@mail-archive.com EASY UNSUBSCRIBE click here: http://topica.com/u/?a84x2u.bNM5nn.YXJjaGl2 Or send an email to: antinato-unsubscr...@topica.com For Topica's complete suite of email marketing solutions visit: http://www.topica.com/?p=TEXFOOTER --^----------------------------------------------------------------