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Russian Hypersonic Missile-Capable Frigate Spotted Near Germany Island After Going Dark
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Russia deployed the frigate Admiral Kasatonov off the German island of Fehmarn in the Baltic Sea last week, the second Russian warship spotted in the strategic waterway in recent weeks, according to The Telegraph on August 17.
The frigate was observed off Fehmarn, a popular tourist destination, following Kremlin threats to attack British and EU vessels, The Telegraph reported.
Shipping data reviewed by the newspaper indicated the vessel sailed with its location transponder switched off, and it was unclear whether it remained near the island by Monday afternoon.
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Speaking last week during an inspection of a Russian warship, the Russian leader, Vladimir Putin, warned that Moscow would retaliate against British and EU vessels that attempted to seize Russia-linked ships.
"It's nothing but piracy and robbery," Putin declared, adding that his country would be "forced to respond in kind" wherever it judged necessary.
Fehmarn lies close to the Danish straits, the main passage linking the Baltic Sea to the North Sea and the Atlantic, and a chokepoint through which Russian ships transit toward open water.
The frigate's presence there, within reach of German, Danish, and allied surveillance, appeared to mark the latest escalation between Russia and NATO.
The deployment followed a run of Western operations against Russia's shadow fleet, the network of aging, obscurely flagged tankers Moscow uses to move sanctioned oil.
In June, Royal Marine Commandos boarded the Smyrtos off southern England during a six-hour operation, and French forces had earlier seized the Tagor in the Atlantic with support from a British military helicopter.
UK officials had by then sanctioned nearly 600 shadow-fleet vessels, describing the roughly 700-ship network as a vital lifeline that funds Russian missiles and drones.
Dmitry Medvedev, deputy chairman of Russia's Security Council, echoed the threats, asserting that Moscow had the right to strike merchant ships of enemy states suspected of carrying cargo for its adversaries.
Commissioned in 2020, the Admiral Kasatonov is a Project 22350, or Admiral Gorshkov-class, frigate and among the most modern surface combatants in the Russian navy, built for long-range strikes and anti-submarine warfare.
The 135-meter, 4,500-tonne ship carries a Ka-27 helicopter and mounts a 130mm gun, Redut surface-to-air missiles, and close-in Palash systems. Its sixteen universal vertical launch cells can accommodate Kalibr cruise missiles, Oniks anti-ship missiles, and Zircon missiles, which Russia describes as hypersonic.
The frigate is capable of carrying such weapons, but the composition of its munitions during the current voyage was not disclosed.
The frigate's appearance has sharpened concern over Russian intentions toward NATO's eastern flank.
US intelligence recently warned European governments that Moscow may be preparing hybrid operations against Poland and the Baltic states, including sabotage of critical infrastructure and possible false-flag incidents.
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