The countries of the Baltic Sea will start purchasing sea mines
Germany and other countries with access to the Baltic Sea plan to jointly purchase sea mines.
German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said this on Tuesday, Reuters reports.
Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of a NATO summit in Washington, Pistorius said Russia was once again challenging its borders in the Baltic Sea.
The Minister of Defense recalled the incident when border guards of the Russian FSB stole navigation buoys on the Narva River, which separates Russia and Estonia.
The Baltic Sea is one of the world’s busiest sea lanes. About 1,500 vessels use it every day.
NATO sees Russia as a threat to shipping lanes and submarine cables in the event of a conflict.
Mines can be used to protect ports or block waterways. Denmark, Norway, Finland, Sweden, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland plan to purchase mines together with Germany.
According to Pistorius, joint procurement will reduce costs and allow joint logistics and maintenance.
USM previously reported that Turkey, Romania and Bulgaria have started demining the Black Sea.