In total nine vessels are being sent to the region in what the Royal Navy is describing as the “first act” of a two-month mission known as Operation Baltic Protector, aimed at demonstrating the determination of the UK and its allies to defend the sea, as well as the countries which border it. The announcement comes after a series of military operations in the region by Russian forces, including drills last month involving the Baltic Fleet’s corvettes Boiky, Stoiky, Soobrazitelny and Steregushchiy in which they repelled a notional enemy’s air attack and delivered an artillery strike against sea and coastal targets in the Baltic Sea. Also in April, then-defence security Gavin Williamson – who famously said Russia should “go away and shut up” confirmed five Apache attack helicopters had been sent to Estonia to counter what he described as the “very credible threat” posed by the country.
Baltic Protector has the Royal Navy’s Amphibious Task Group at its heart – flagship HMS Albion, support ship RFA Lyme Bay, helicopter support vessel RFA Argus, frigate HMS Kent and military ferry MV Hurst Point, crewed by 540 Royal Marines of 45 Commando.
Joining the British vessels are Denmark’s command ship HDMS Absalon, Dutch amphibious ship HNLMS Johann de Witt and Norwegian missile boats HNoMS Steil and Glimt.
Brigadier Matt Jackson, leading the Royal Marines of 3 Commando Brigade said: “The first week of Baltic Protector has focused on integrating forces from across the Joint Expeditionary Force into a single amphibious task group.
“One of the deployment’s main objectives is to develop our ability to do this quickly and effectively during a crisis.
“Our navies are used to working together and have a shared history of military operations.
“I’m very conscious that we are nearing the 75th anniversary of D-Day, and it is also precisely 100 years since the Royal Navy played a decisive role in Baltic independence.
“Today, our amphibious forces remain at the heart of UK’s – and NATO’s – ability to respond to crises within Europe and around the world.
“From a UK perspective, we pride ourselves on being ready to operate anywhere, and deploying to the Baltic Sea will allow us to learn from nations that live and operate there every day – this really is their backyard.”
Once exercises in Jutland are complete, the emphasis will then shift to the main annual military exercise in the region, the US-led Baltops, which has been running since the 1970s.
At its peak, the Baltic Protector deployment will include more than 3800 personnel and up to 20 ships.
Russian activity in the Baltic and Barents seas has increased notably in recent years, much to the alarm of Baltic States Estonia, Lithuania and Latvia, all of whom have urged NATO to send reinforcements to the region.
Latvia’s Prime Minister Maris Kucinskis said: “It is a demonstration of force.
“It is hard to comprehend that it can happen so close to our country.”
Speaking last month, Emily Ferris, a Research Fellow specialising in Russia and Eurasia at the Royal United Services Institute for Defence and Security Studies (RUSI), told Express.co.uk Mr Putin’s Russia was a powerful adversary which posed a real test for British defences.
She said: “Relations between Britain and Russia have obviously taken a nosedive in recent years.
“The EU support for Ukraine has exacerbated things and obviously the Skripal affair has made things worse.
“There was always going to be fallout from that but I think Russia ultimately concluded it didn’t really matter.”