NATO's Neptune Strike 2025 Naval Drills Simulate Attacks on Kaliningrad and St. PetersburgNATO has launched its Neptune Strike military exercises in the Baltic Sea on Monday, September 22, with Russian experts warning that the drills are effectively rehearsals for a blockade of St. Petersburg and the Kaliningrad region, according to Izvestia. “First and foremost, the goal is to exert pressure on St. Petersburg and Kaliningrad. The concerns come against the backdrop of NATO’s ongoing naval presence in the Baltic. In June, Izvestia reported that a US Navy Arleigh Burke–class destroyer armed with Tomahawk missiles entered the Baltic Sea to join the alliance’s Baltops 2025 exercises. The latest maneuvers underline growing friction in the Baltic theater, where both Russia and NATO view naval strategy as critical to maintaining influence and security.