 At Baltic Sea drills, NATO to work out repelling Russian attack. NATO allies will hold joint exercises in the Black Sea to repel possible Russian aggression. That's according to Reuters. Major naval drills about to start in the Baltic Sea involving some 30 ships and more than 3,000 Western service members will for the first time practice how to respond to a Russian assault in the region, the report says. It is noted that the two-week northern coasts exercise set to begin on September 9th will involve the forces of all Baltic NATO allies, as well as Suntabe member Sweden and non-Baltic allies Canada, the United States, the Netherlands, Belgium and France. They will practice amphibious operations and strikes from the sea to land, agency reports. The exercise, which will take place off the coasts of Latvia and Estonia, will also focus on protecting maritime supply routes in the Baltic Sea. Finland and the Baltic states depend to almost 100% on the maritime supply routes through the Baltic Sea. Should the Svalki Gap be blocked, and this can be done easily as there are only two roads in one railroad line, then we are left with the sea routes only. And that's where we will then have to make our way through, Jan-Christian Koch, German Navy Commander-in-Chief said.