The naval mine countermeasures vessel MHC Vahterpää (R) seen from German navy replenishment ship FGS Mosel during media event of the navy s spring main exercise Narrow Waters 25, led by Finnish navy, on the sea outside Helsinki, Finland on May 23, 2025. Photo: Roni Rekomaa / Lehtikuva
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Russia has accused Finland of escalating regional tensions through NATO-linked naval exercises in the Baltic Sea.
Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said on Tuesday that the Finnish Navy’s current operations are “becoming a tool of NATO escalation near Russia’s border.”
The statement refers to Finland’s main spring naval exercise now underway in the Gulf of Finland and other southern coastal waters.
The training involves forces from Finland, Sweden, Germany, and Estonia.
The Finnish Navy is leading the exercise, which spans the Archipelago Sea, the Gulf of Finland, and areas off Finland’s southern coast.
Zakharova’s comments came shortly after Finland summoned the Russian ambassador and delivered a diplomatic note over suspected airspace violations.
Russia has repeatedly accused NATO of military provocation in the Baltic region. Last week, Zakharova also condemned Estonia’s attempt to seize a Russian tanker associated with Moscow’s so-called “shadow fleet.”
HT
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Source: www.helsinkitimes.fi
