German Ministry of Defense: Russia has increased its presence in the Baltic Sea.

German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius reported that Russia is increasing its presence in the Baltic Sea.

According to Pistorius, the Russian navy and civilian vessels in the Baltic Sea have significantly increased. The Chinese fleet is also present here from time to time.

'This indicates the strategic importance of the Baltic Sea for many, especially for Russia and China, particularly in the context of bypassing sanctions,' he said in an interview with Deutschlandfunk radio.

The head of the German defense ministry added that Russia has repeatedly provoked incidents that were known since the Cold War.

'We have repeatedly had incidents in the Baltic Sea where warning shots were fired into the air and water,' he noted.

Pistorius compared such behavior to incidents where Russian fighters flew over the Baltic states without identification marks to test NATO's response.