The Baltic is now a significantly contested area due to the quite aggressive policies of European coastal states, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said when asked whether the Kremlin would view Estonias live-fire drills in the Baltic as an escalation effort.
The Kremlin stressed Moscow's determination to protect national interests. Russia is a Baltic country. And Russia intends to firmly protect its legitimate interests in this region, Peskov stressed.
Last week, after 4 months of training, the Estonian army used the HIMARS multiple rocket launcher system for the first live-fire drill in the Baltic for the first time. The missile complex was delivered this spring as a pre-ordering weapons package from the US.
According to the Estonian Defense Forces (EDF), each missile can hit an offshore target at a distance of up to 15km.
In addition to artillery units, Estonia currently has its own missile force. HIMARS missiles fired from the coast of Saaremaa in the Baltic Sea hit the target - in less than 1 minute.
