Russian military shadows NATO operations in Baltics

(Vatican Radio) Officials say Russian ships and fighter jets have made their presence known during a 17-nation strong exercise by the NATO military alliance in the Baltic Sea as East-West tensions over Russia's role in Ukraine escalate.

Listen to the report by Stefan Bos: 

In a conference call with Vatican Radio and other media, United States Vice Admiral James G. Foggo III, said there had been "interaction" with Russian forces in the Baltic Sea region, where the NATO military alliance is holding its largest operations ever.  

Russian military was seen shadowing alliance ship movements and buzzing aircraft over ship formations during the U.S.-led operations, known as BALTOPS, short for Baltic Operations. 

Foggo, who is commander of the 6th fleet and of NATO's Naval Striking and Support Forces, spoke from the USS San Antonio warship, anchored off the coast of Sweden, after a recent encounter with the Russian military. 

Footage, released by the U.S. military, shows two Russian war planes flying nearby. 

SHADOWING SHIPS

Several Russian vessels have also been shadowing NATO ships during BALTOPS. Just days earlier the U.S. Navy showed a Russian Su-24 aircraft flying past the right side of the guided missile destroyer USS Ross in the Black Sea.

And U.S. officials say there have been several close calls between U.S. and Russian war planes.   

The stand-off comes as East-West tensions mount over Russia's role in the conflict in eastern Ukraine.

Yet, Admiral Foggo made clear that the massive NATO exercises would continue.

"We sailed on Monday [from Poland] with 49 ships, over 60 aircraft, 5,600 international personal and 700 marines from Finland, Sweden, United States and the United Kingdom...in order to conduct a series of serial exercises for naval training at sea and shore," he said. 

NAVY DELEGATIONS

He also said Russian and U.S. Navy delegations had been holding "frank and professional" discussions in Naples, Italy, Thursday on how to prevent incidents in and over the high seas between the two  forces. 

The current NATO exercises are taking place in Poland, Sweden, various parts of the Baltic Sea and Germany. 

Thousands of ground, naval and air troops carry out a wide range of NATO operations, including amphibious landings, anti-surface warfare, anti-submarine warfare, air defense and communication exercises.   

Foggo said the NATO training, expected to last until June 20, was aimed at reassuring allies, including the Baltic nations and other former Soviet satellite states that have expressed concern over what they view as Russian aggression.   

The conflict in Ukraine has killed some 6,500 people to date. The United Nations says more than 2.2 million people have fled their homes in eastern Ukraine since the war began in April last year, some to neighboring Russia, but about 1.3 million to Ukrainian regions under government control.