This is the nineteenth time a Russian military unit has been detected near Latvia this year. The sighting comes just one day after a Russian armed forces Kilo-class submarine was seen about the same distance from the edge of Latvia's maritime territory.
Armed Forces on 17 MAR in LV EEZ 28 nmi from territ. waters spotted RU Navy's Kashtan-class submarine support ship SS750.
— NBS (@Latvijas_armija) March 17, 2015
Meanwhile Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday ordered Russia's Northern Fleet to go to full alert in a snap military exercise.
According to Russia’s defense ministry announcements, the exercise involves 38,000 soldiers, 3,360 units of military hardware, 41 ships, 15 submarines, 110 airplanes and helicopters.
During the snap military exercise, the Russian Defense Ministry is moving Iskander ballistic missiles to Kaliningrad Oblast, news agency TASS said referring to a source at the ministry.
"The land force in the Baltics will be bolstered with Iskander ballistic missiles from the Western Military District with the help of the large landing ships of the Baltic fleet," TASS informs.
Defense Minister Raimonds Vejonis (Greens/Farmers) said Monday that the security of Latvia, the Baltic States, and other Eastern European countries is high on NATO's agenda. One of the main goals is to boost national security and improve cooperation with the allied forces. The presence of allied forces has been ensured in Latvia since the annexation of Crimea, confirming NATO's determination to prevent military aggression against the bloc.
The activity of Russian military units near Latvia's border and in the country's Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) has continued this year after an extremely active 2014.
Russian military aircraft and ships were detected over 250 times near Latvia's border last year, including 50 cases of Russian warships approaching Latvia's borders.
