war | Russia speaks of a relapse into the Cold War because of NATO exercises

Latvia’s army chief wants NATO in the Baltic Sea. The Russian armed forces are probably failing to drive out the Ukrainians on the Dnipro. All information in the news blog.

7:34 a.m.: Russia has criticized the major NATO maneuver starting next week as a final return of the transatlantic military alliance to the times of the Cold War. An exercise of this magnitude marks NATO’s final and irrevocable return to Cold War patterns, when the military planning process, resources and infrastructure were prepared for a confrontation with Russia, Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko told the state news agency RIA. The maneuver is another element of the hybrid war that “the West has unleashed against Russia.”

NATO is starting its biggest maneuver in decades next week. Around 90,000 soldiers are expected to take part in the “Steadfast Defender 2024” exercise, which runs until May. According to the information, the aim is to practice the deployment of US soldiers to support European troops in countries bordering Russia and on NATO’s eastern flank in the event of a conflict with a similarly strong opponent.

NATO did not mention Russia by name when announcing the exercise. However, in the alliance’s central strategy paper, Russia is named as the greatest threat to the security of NATO countries. Since the beginning of the Ukraine invasion, the Russian leadership has repeatedly accused the “collective West” of waging a “hybrid war” against Russia by supporting Ukraine with financial and military aid.

5.15 a.m.: A terminal on the premises of the Russian natural gas producer Novatek in the Leningrad region, the area surrounding St. Petersburg, caught fire on Sunday night. There were no injuries caused by the fire in the Baltic Sea port of Ust-Luga, the staff was evacuated, said the region’s governor, Alexander Drozdenko, according to the Tass news agency on Sunday. High alert has been declared in the Kingisepp district. A reason for the fire was not given. Ust-Luga is close to the border with NATO member Estonia.

The Ukrainian online media “Ukrainska Pravda” published videos on the X platform (formerly Twitter) in which the gas plant that caught fire can be seen. In the footage you can see flames shooting high into the night sky. It was said that a fire broke out in one of the terminals of the Russian seaport on the night of January 21st.

Just last week, according to the Russian Defense Ministry, a drone from Ukraine was intercepted in the St. Petersburg area. She is said to have caused no damage.

12:30 a.m.: The Latvian army chief General Leonids Kalnins sees a danger from Russian ships and activities in the Baltic Sea. His demand: to place it completely under NATO control. He said this in an interview with the Germany editorial network on the sidelines of a military meeting in Brussels.

He suggests that the Baltic Sea should be completely closed to Russian warships. “The infrastructure in the Baltic Sea in particular is vital for our states, for our economies and for all communications,” he said. NATO should take control “immediately” to prevent provocations and acts of sabotage. This could be implemented within a day. He doesn’t trust the Russian Navy to attack the Baltic Sea. But one should be prepared against possible Russian aggression.