30. May 2025

Dr. Moritz Brake on BILD online: Risk of Escalation in the Baltic Sea Due to Simultaneous NATO and Russian Maneuvers Dr. Moritz Brake on BILD online: Risk of Escalation in the Baltic Sea Due to Simultaneous NATO and Russian Maneuver

In a recent article by BILD online, Dr. Moritz Brake, former naval officer and Fellow at CASSIS Bonn, warns of the risks associated with simultaneous military exercises by NATO and Russia in the Baltic Sea. While NATO's traditional "Baltops" exercise is proceeding as scheduled in June, Russia has initiated its annual large-scale drill in the Baltic Sea a month earlier than usual. Reports indicate that a Russian destroyer recently followed the German frigate "Bayern" up to Rostock.

Dr. Moritz Brake on BILD online: Risk of Escalation in the Baltic Sea Due to Simultaneous NATO and Russian Maneuvers © BILD.de

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Dr. Brake emphasizes that such concurrent maneuvers increase the risk of unintended incidents. He states: "The Russians are very aggressive. What's happening in the Baltic Sea always carries the danger of escalating into a more serious confrontation." While he considers a direct Russian attack during the exercises unlikely, provocations such as blocking NATO ships or overflights by Russian aircraft are possible. These actions could be aimed at testing NATO's responsiveness.

The Center for Advanced Security, Strategic and Integration Studies (CASSIS) highlights the importance of clear communication and strategic vigilance to prevent escalation and ensure regional stability.

Publication

https://www.bild.de/politik/ausland-und-internationales/doppel-manoever-von-nato-und-russland-droht-jetzt-der-grosse-ostsee-knall-68399ffe5f7a8d25a5be8a87

Contact

Moritz Brake is a Senior Fellow at the Center for Advanced Security, Strategic and Integration Studies (CASSIS) and a reserve officer in the German Navy. He received his PhD from the War Studies Department of King's College London in July 2022 with a thesis on the German Navy as an instrument of foreign policy. He is a member of the German Maritime Institute (DMI) and an auditor of the French Institut des Hautes Études de Défense National (IHEDN). In addition to a Master's degree in War Studies from King's College London, Brake holds a nautical patent and an engineering degree in nautical science from Jade University in Elsfleth, Germany. In active naval service, he most recently served as a youth officer in public relations as a security policy advisor on behalf of the German government, and served in the UN mission UNIFIL (Eastern Mediterranean, Lebanon, 2007) and the EU anti-piracy mission ATALANTA in the Horn of Africa (2010 & 2011), in addition to seagoing service on merchant and warships.