Russia Raises Alarm Over NATO Drills Aiming to Strangle Kaliningrad Region

23.04.2026 12:44

Photo: Sputnik / Mikhail Golenkov

Western countries are rehearsing scenarios for a naval blockade and the seizure of the Kaliningrad region during the Joint Expeditionary Force exercises, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko told Sputnik.

"NATO is purposefully pursuing a path of mounting confrontation in this part of Europe... The activity of the UK-led Joint Expeditionary Force, whose tasks include rapid response in the Far North, North Atlantic, and Baltic Sea areas, is growing," he emphasized.

In January, former Lithuanian Deputy Foreign Minister Darius Jurgelevicius boasted that the alliance has a ready-made scenario for a blockade of Kaliningrad in the event of a direct clash with Russia.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has repeatedly warned that a potential blockade of the Kaliningrad region would lead to an unprecedented escalation, and that all threats to the region would be eliminated