The Baltic Sea region contains several geopolitical fault lines between NATO and Moscow, with alliance members and partners in the region having direct land and sea borders with Russian territory and waters. The geography of the Baltic means that naval forces play a key role in Russian military operations in the region to ensure the security of the sea lines of communication (SLOCs) between St Petetsburg and Kaliningrad. The position of the Kaliningrad enclave, wedged between Lithuania and Poland, also means the Russian naval, air, and missile forces can influence a large swath of sea and air space in the central Baltic region. This interplay between the vulnerability of Russian forces in Kaliningrad and their ability to cause trouble for NATO is at the heart of assessing the military potential of the Baltic Fleet.
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