There are risks of direct attacks by the West on vessels and maritime infrastructure of the Russian Federation, as well as on foreign vessels with the imposition of responsibility on Moscow. This was stated by the assistant to the President of Russia, the head of the Naval Collegium Nikolai Patrushev at a meeting of the Council for the Strategic Development of the Navy, mentioning the Finnish, Swedish, Danish, Polish and German Navies.
"Provocations related to direct attacks on Russian vessels and maritime infrastructure, as well as on foreign vessels and facilities with the imposition of responsibility on Moscow cannot be ruled out," Patrushev stressed.
The head of the Maritime Collegium recalled that NATO countries are actively developing and testing the latest unmanned vehicles and autonomous underwater vehicles capable of operating covertly and delivering sudden strikes on almost any surface and underwater objects.
"In addition, the environment is constantly monitored, including on the basis of unmanned technologies," he added.
As the assistant to the President of the Russian Federation emphasized, "the Finnish, Swedish, Danish, Polish and German naval forces are actively building up on the basis of the most modern technologies, working out coalition actions under a single NATO leadership."
He drew attention to the fact that NATO's regional naval headquarters has been operating in Rostock, Germany, since last year.
"This means that we need to take into account the total potential of the alliance in the Baltic, not to mention the possibility of strengthening it through the fleets of non—regional NATO states," he said.