Canada deployed two warships to the Baltic Sea and North Atlantic on Sunday, joining a pair of frigates already in the region, the announced objective is to reinforce NATO's eastern flank.
 
The Canadian navy said in a statement that Her Majesty's Canadian Ships (HMCS) Kingston and Summerside set sail for a four-month deployment as part of "deterrence measures in Central and Eastern Europe" launched in 2014.
 
The ships will participate in naval mine sweeping exercises through October and maintain a "high readiness," allowing them to "quickly and effectively respond in support of any NATO operations," according to the statement.
 
HMCS Halifax and Montreal are scheduled to return to port in July from the so-called Operation Reassurance -- which is currently Canada's largest deployment abroad. 
 
In addition, the mission includes approximately 700 Canadian troops in Latvia with artillery and electronic warfare capabilities, as well as several military aircraft.

Earlier in June, the press service of the Russian Baltic Fleet confirmed that the anti-submarine ships of the Leningrad Naval Base will conduct search and destroy drills for hypothetical enemy submarines in the maritime zone of the Gulf of Finland.

In a press release, the Fleet indicated that the strike group of ships departed from the Leningrad Naval Base of the Baltic Fleet to carry out a number of missions.

In addition, the crews of the ships will be trained to lay mines, fire artillery systems at sea and air targets, and carry out joint maneuvering tasks.