The secretary general of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization is reportedly sounding an alarm on Russia’s naval buildup, warning its submarine activity is “at the highest level since the Cold War.”
In an interview with the Sunday edition of German conservative newspaper Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung, NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg warned the buildup threatens transport and communication links between alliance members, USA Today reported.
"Russia has invested massively in its navy, especially submarines," Stoltenbergtold told the outlet, adding that Moscow has deployed 13 additional submarines since 2014.
"Russia's submarine activity is now at its highest level since the Cold War," he asserted, noting that submarines were active in the Atlantic and Mediterranean and also "near our coastlines."
According to USA Today, Stoltenberg also warned that since the end of the Cold War the alliance has lost some of its sea capability, especially in countering submarines.
USA Today noted 25 member nations of the European Union on Dec. 14 inaugurated the PESCO pact, backed by NATO, to cooperate more closely on defense projects in the wake of Russia's annexation of Crimea in 2014 — including a Belgian-led effort to develop submarine drones to tackle mines at sea.