[Regnum] NATO countries are practicing blockade scenarios for the Kaliningrad region during military exercises. This was announced on May 2 by Artyom Bulatov, Ambassador-at-Large of the Russian Foreign Ministry.
He noted that since the start of the special operation in Ukraine, NATO and EU countries have stepped up efforts to establish control over logistics routes in the Baltic region. Furthermore, Bulatov noted that NATO countries have taken steps to isolate the Kaliningrad region in the event of an escalation of tensions between Russia and Western countries.
“Relevant scenarios are being worked out during NATO military exercises,” the diplomat emphasized in a conversation with RIA Novosti.
Bulatov previously stated that Russia would respond decisively to any attempt to blockade Kaliningrad. He called Russian President Vladimir Putin's warning of an unprecedented level of escalation in the event of an attempt to blockade the Kaliningrad region an important signal to the EU and NATO.
In January, Kaliningrad Oblast Governor Alexei Besprozvannykh responded in Lithuanian to former Lithuanian Deputy Foreign Minister Darius Jurgelevicius's comments about a possible blockade of the region with a line from Eisenstein's film "Alexander Nevsky."
A former deputy head of Lithuania's Foreign Ministry stated that NATO member states have developed a plan to blockade Kaliningrad in the event of a direct clash with Russia. The diplomat also refused to refer to the city as Kaliningrad, stating that it "has nothing to do with Russia."
In December, Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova commented on statements by politicians in some NATO countries about a possible blockade or forcible seizure of the Kaliningrad region. She called such statements "foolish and courageous."
On December 19, Russian President Vladimir Putin stated that Russia would eliminate all threats if attacks on tankers or any attempt to blockade the Kaliningrad region continued. The head of state emphasized that an attempt to blockade the region would escalate the conflict to an unprecedented level, including a direct, large-scale military conflict.