More than a dozen NATO ships are now headed to the Swedish capital Stockholm after completing their military drills amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Thirteen warships, nine German vessels and four ships from the Baltics are on their way to Frihamnen Port following the exercise, reported Sputnik.
The warships movement turned towards Stockholm as the war in Ukraine has intensified with all attention on Mariupol over Russia's warning of Kyiv.
NATO Assures Support to Ukraine
On Sunday, NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg had underlined that the member states are stepping up their support to Ukraine amid the conflict and the military alliance and other countries are continuously helping Kyiv with supplies.
Ukraine has been receiving a wide range of aid from a number of countries through the land border with Poland and other ways. The western supplies range from armed products to health kits and others. However, Poland, a NATO member, had requested to send its Mig fighter jets to Ukraine but it was rejected by the US citing that it might be the direct interference in the war.
NATO countries have been aggressively active in sending aid and ammunition to Ukraine but so far the military alliance had restricted sending its troops into the conflict zone maintaining that it cannot directly interfere in the war. Russian President Vladimir Putin had earlier warned of the consequences of interfering in the conflict.
NATO's Hidden Plans?
But the current NATO ships' movement to Sweden might have some hidden aims given to worsening the Russia-Ukraine war and intensifying the use of modern weapons in the conflict by Moscow.
However, NATO has rejected that the movement of its ships has nothing to do with the Ukraine war but it is believed that the US and the military alliance will definitely have a draft plan in case Russia crosses limits and eyes to target any NATO member or uses the disastrous weapon in Ukraine.
Russia recently used hypersonic missiles against Ukraine to destroy some facilities and it used the missiles made in 2018, which are believed to be the most advanced weapon used in the current conflict so far.
