Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the security of the Baltic and North Sea following recent reports that the Russian navy will commission 40 new vessels in 2020.
The Ministry of Defence monitors the development of all new Russian vessels commissioned and makes assessments based on their operational capability. We continue to assess the impact of Russian naval investments to regional security, including the Baltic and North Seas. Russia continues to be a significant state-based threat to the UK; monitoring and responding to this threat is a core priority for the Ministry of Defence.