12:38 25-11-2025

NATO Drills in Baltic Sea Seen as Blockade Rehearsal

By Photo: LPhot Dan Rosenbaum/MOD, OGL v1.0, Link

Military expert Vasily Dandykin warns NATO’s Freezing Winds 25 drills may prepare a Baltic Sea blockade and a threat to the Saint Petersburg–Kaliningrad route.

Retired captain first rank and military expert Vasily Dandykin believes NATO is using the Freezing Winds 25 exercise as a cover to prepare a blockade of the Baltic Sea.

He argues that behind the declared mission of protecting sea lines of communication and critical infrastructure, the alliance is in fact pursuing a strategic goal: to cut off all Russian maritime routes and effectively turn the Baltic Sea into a NATO-controlled space.

According to Dandykin, the drills serve three main purposes: integrating the Finnish Navy into NATO’s unified maritime system, practicing amphibious operations tailored to the region’s specific climate, and conducting mine countermeasures designed to ensure safe passage for ships of alliance member states.

Dandykin is also convinced that under the umbrella of these exercises NATO is rehearsing a scenario to block the Saint Petersburg-Kaliningrad route. He noted that Finland, by taking this course, is drawing increased attention to itself and will likely regret the decision over time, as NATO contingents will be stationed on its territory.