Russian presidential aide Nikolai Patrushev claimed on March 13 that NATO is deliberately "escalating" tensions in the Baltic region, portraying the alliance as a threat to Russia's security.
His comments come amid NATO's warnings that Russia may be ramping up hybrid operations in the region. Several undersea cables were damaged in recent months, leading the alliance to increase its presence in the Baltic Sea.
Speaking to National Defense, a Russian military and political magazine, Patrushev alleged that NATO's naval forces are working to "block" Russia in the Baltic while ignoring diplomatic engagement with Moscow.
Patrushev further accused the alliance, particularly the U.K., of provoking instability in the region. "The forecast of the situation in the Baltic allows us to draw attention to the deliberate fomentation of regional tensions by the naval forces of European countries of the alliance," he said.
Patrushev also claimed, without evidence, that NATO is conducting cyberattacks on Russian ships' navigation systems to create maritime emergencies, including accidents and infrastructure failures.
While Russian-linked vessels have been detained in connection to damaged Baltic Sea cables, Western intelligence agencies remain divided on whether they were acts of sabotage or accidental damage.
Tensions between NATO and Russia have risen following Moscow's all-out attack against Ukraine. Western leaders and intelligence agencies have warned of a potential large-scale war in Europe within the next five years, citing Russia's increasingly aggressive posture.
Tim Zadorozhnyy
