BERLIN, Sept 1 (Reuters) - Major naval drills about to start in the Baltic Sea involving some 30 ships and more than 3,000 Western service members will for the first time practice how to respond to a Russian assault in the region, Germany's navy chief said on Friday.
Securing the sea routes through the Baltic Sea is another focus of the exercise that will take place off the coasts of Latvia and Estonia.
"Finland and the Baltic states depend to almost 100% on the maritime supply routes through the Baltic Sea," Kaack noted.
The Suwalki Gap, a narrow land corridor of some 65 kilometres (40 miles), is the only connection linking the Baltic states to Poland and NATO's main territory in Europe.
Germany aims to provide the facility to NATO as a regional maritime headquarters, capable of leading the alliance's operations in the Baltic Sea in case of a conflict.
Persons:
Jan Christian Kaack, Kaack, Sabine Siebold, Peter Graff
Organizations:
NATO, Thomson
Locations:
Baltic, Russia, Berlin, Sweden, U.S, Canada, Netherlands, Belgium, France, Latvia, Estonia, Finland, Poland, NATO's, Europe, Rostock, Germany, Ukraine