Sweden issues maritime warning for Russia's Baltic Sea drill

HELSINKI – Swedish authorities have issued a warning to civilian maritime traffic on the Baltic Sea due to the Russian Navy's military drills and missile tests this week.

Marie Hallerfelt of the Swedish Maritime Administration says Tuesday that Russian artillery exercises in three separate areas in the southern and southeastern Baltic Sea means those regions will be temporarily dangerous to navigation from early Wednesday until late Friday.

The drills — which reportedly include firing missiles from Russian vessels — are taking place between Sweden, Poland and Latvia and come remarkably close to the southern Swedish city of Karlskrona, which hosts a key naval base.

Latvia's defense ministry last week summoned Russia's military attache to express its concern over the naval drill, calling it provocative and an unnecessary demonstration of force.