Baltic Sea

Russian President Vladimir Putin is seeking control of the entire Baltic Sea, including the Swedish island of Gotland, Swedish Armed Forces commander-in-chief Mikael Buden has warned.

Russia has unilaterally changed its maritime borders with Lithuania and Finland in the Baltic Sea, revising the geographical coordinates of islands and coastal areas.

russia plans to unilaterally change its maritime borders with Lithuania and Finland in the Baltic Sea, adjusting geographical coordinates to declare part of the water area its internal sea waters.

The head of the Odesa Regional State Administration, Oleh Kiper, met with the Estonian delegation to discuss the grain corridor, strengthening air defense, cooperation in the field of digitalization and IT, economic ties between enterprises, and organizing recreation for children from Odesa in Estonia.

Estonia will auction off the uninhabited Hiralaide Island in the Baltic Sea with the right to build at a starting price of 480,000 euros.

The Baltic states and Northern Europe have reaffirmed their unity against russia's "shadow war. " Sweden joined NATO, and the Baltic prime ministers promised not to abandon their support for Ukraine despite moscow's intimidation.

The European Union has proposed to impose restrictions on 11 vessels that contribute to Russia's war against Ukraine, including banning them from entering EU ports, prohibiting European companies from providing services, and limiting insurance and technical assistance.

According to the Finnish transport and communications agency Traficom, the GPS jamming in the Baltic region is likely a side effect of russian military activities aimed at interfering with the navigation and control of drones.

Finland is in contact with NATO and the EU about growing GPS interference from Russia, which has increased during Russia's war in Ukraine, Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen said.

Over the weekend, Baltic ministers warned of the risk of an air disaster due to GPS jamming blamed on Russia, after two Finnish flights were forced to turn around midway due to interference with navigation signals.

Latvia has started building anti-tank ditches near its eastern border as part of the Baltic Defense Line to deter potential military threats.

A cold snap with frosty temperatures down to -8 degrees Celsius hit most of Poland due to the penetration of Arctic air from Central Europe.

Frosts of 0-2°C are expected in Kyiv on the night of April 20, with ice on the roads and a yellow alert level.

Due to cyclonic activity and atmospheric fronts, Ukraine will experience unstable weather with precipitation, especially in the western and northern regions, while the southeastern regions will remain abnormally warm and the western/northwestern regions will experience cold air and possible frosts.

Finland warns of an increased risk of environmental disaster due to the fleet of Russian "ghost tankers" transporting oil through the Baltic Sea in violation of sanctions: about 100,000 tons of crude oil passes through the Gulf of Finland every week.

President Zelenskyy said that Ukraine needs an invitation to join NATO this year, calling it realistic because Ukraine defends the Alliance's common values and deserves reliable security, as does the Baltic region after Finland and Sweden joined.

Six North Sea countries have signed an agreement to ensure common security standards to protect critical underwater infrastructure, such as energy pipelines and cables, from foreign sabotage and attack.

The theft of Ukrainian grain from the occupied territories is led by Russian military officials and collaborators who cooperate with the invaders.

German fighter jets intercepted a Russian spy plane flying without a transponder over the Baltic Sea on April 6.

According to the German Ministry of Defense, Russia is likely responsible for persistent disruptions to global navigation satellite systems in the Baltic region, including electromagnetic interference originating in Kaliningrad.

Russia plans to cut exports of diesel fuel by sea in April to the lowest level in 5 months due to Ukrainian drone attacks on refineries and seasonal maintenance that reduces crude oil processing.

Italian Eurofighter jets intercepted two russian planes flying over international waters in the Baltic Sea during a NATO air control mission on Thursday and Friday.

Swedish Foreign Minister Tobias Bylstrom warned of a "prolonged" conflict with Russia, calling on the EU to provide long-term military and financial support to Ukraine.

Three crew members were killed and four injured when a Russian missile hit the fishing trawler Kapitan Lobanov during a Baltic Fleet exercise on March 19.

Ukraine seeks to establish itself as a future EU member in the areas of defense, energy, agriculture, raw materials, and digital technologies.

Russia is believed to have jammed the GPS signal of a British Air Force plane carrying the country's defense minister for 30 minutes.

Nord Stream is suing insurers for about 400 million euros for refusing to cover the explosions that damaged the Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2 gas pipelines.

Swedish Prime Minister Kristersson calls on Europe to persuade the United States to focus on Russia's war against Ukraine by increasing its own defense capabilities and aligning them with America's strategic interests, including the Chinese challenge.

Sweden conducted its first military flights near Russia's borders after joining NATO: a reconnaissance plane flew over Poland near Kaliningrad and Belarus, and another radar plane worked over the Baltic Sea.

Albania has turned an old Soviet air base into a regional center for NATO air operations in the Western Balkans.