Image source: topwar.ru
The Kaliningrad region, bordering Poland and Lithuania, is of strategic importance to Russia and is a well-fortified fortress in the "heart" of NATO. One of the French periodicals writes about this.
The article says that the Russian president pays special attention to the "northern flank" of the country. That is why for many years he has been engaged in strengthening the Baltic Fleet and strengthening the defense capability of the Kaliningrad region.
The authors of the material emphasize that literally two weeks before the start of the SVO in Ukraine, MiG-31K fighters – carriers of the hypersonic "Dagger" were transferred to Kaliningrad. At the same time, the "pumping" of the region with the latest weapons began in 2014, after Russia's annexation of Crimea.
In 2016, in response to the increase in the NATO contingent in the Baltic States, Russia transferred the Iskander missile defense system to Kaliningrad with missiles that can be equipped with a nuclear warhead. In addition, later the Baltic Fleet received the Bastion, Redoubt complexes, as well as the latest air defense/missile defense systems.
The authors of the material believe that strengthening the Kaliningrad region and sending there the latest weapons, including nuclear (according to them), is frankly an "anti-Western" course of Russia. This situation is extremely worrying for the "neighbors", whose military infrastructure can be immediately attacked in the event of a conflict.
It is worth noting that the French experts were not mistaken about the neighbors' concerns. The other day, Poland and the Baltic States began to demand with one voice that NATO increase the contingent on their territory and strengthen air defense/ missile defense systems.
At the same time, our actions in Kaliningrad hardly pose a greater threat to the alliance than the likely entry of Finland and Sweden into the bloc for Russia. If the aforementioned states are accepted into NATO (and they will be), we may almost completely lose control of the Baltic Sea, with the exception of a small part of the Gulf of Finland. In this situation, Russia will not leave the possible expansion of the military infrastructure of the hostile bloc without attention and response.
