BILD: The Baltic Sea has become a battleground for Russia's hybrid war against NATO countries.

Putin is waging an undeclared war against NATO in the Baltic Sea. This was stated by chief reporter BILD Peter Tiede. Initially, the Russians fired signal rockets at a Bundeswehr helicopter near the Danish island of Bornholm. Then, an underwater internet cable from Helsinki to Rostock was cut. Now, incidents of drones flying over German military ranges and ports have increased.

Germany's Defense Minister Boris Pistorius also characterizes Russia's actions in this way.

“We are experiencing a hybrid war!” he said on Deutschlandfunk on January 2.

Just a few days ago, a suspicious oil tanker, Eagle S, was detained in Finland. According to the latest information, the tanker not only illegally transported Russian oil but also damaged an underwater power cable in the Baltic Sea.

Finnish police released underwater images confirming suspicions of sabotage using the tanker’s anchor.

“Sabotage is one of the key components of psychological warfare. They are less costly than direct attacks, highly effective, and cause damage – for instance, paralyzing infrastructure while simultaneously allowing for the denial of involvement,” asserts Natalie Vogel, a hybrid warfare expert from the Institute of World Politics in Washington, in a comment to BILD.

The Friedrich Naumann Foundation emphasizes another danger in the region – Russia has turned Kaliningrad into a well-equipped military bastion: with missiles capable of carrying nuclear weapons, modern air defense systems, a large coastal defense, and a strong Baltic fleet.

With Kaliningrad, Russia is capable of threatening its neighbors in the Baltic Sea. Provocations in the air have already become part of everyday life here: Russian Air Force regularly intrudes into NATO airspace, requiring interception.

“Our Eurofighter jets regularly take off to escort Russian aircraft along NATO borders when they do not comply with existing aviation regulations,” the German Ministry of Defense told BILD.

According to NATO, just last year, 300 Russian aircraft were intercepted – most of them near the Baltic states.

“We are currently observing behavior that Moscow displayed during the Cold War,” say officials in the German Ministry of Defense.

Background. As reported, spy equipment was discovered on the detained Russian tanker Eagle S, which belongs to Russia's “shadow fleet.”