paddle an annual tomatoes throwing fest, they've trucked more than a ton of old and override tomatoes. after an hour the throng stops, and the clean up begins. this tradition dates back more than 70 years. that's all the news for now. up next, our documentary program, doc films stay with us. the algeria is here, mauritania is here on mark track. we know is this one of the great dream and the grim reality the sahara was pale. i swear what remains? i just want to be for the hopes of the age of this, the heart of the last shelter start september, 2nd on dw,

hello. the baltic sea nieto controlled waters since the full scale russian invasion of ukraine. a new iron curtain divides, east and west. the threat of further escalation now looms large. on february 24th 2022, the day of russia's invasion, the german navy mobilized his forces to this point, it was a very spontaneous and very intense response of the russian invasion of you crime, which was a violation of international rules. we sent everything the conflicts into the baltic sea and how should meet or respond to russia's aggression. it's a question that's now being asked across the region. the baltic states, which were once part of the soviet union, have called for

a united front against we contacted these to plan to, uh, you know, uh, defend the country alone and then the neighborhood afterwards. saint petersburg is one of russia's few access points to the baltic. sea, from here, russia's leadership is determined to stake its claim as an imperial power on the seas appreciate with this. it was more than this during the months square foot. once our navy is capable of responding with lightnings, leading to anyone who wants to encroach on our sovereignty and freedom, suspicion, choose to do what executes strategic task successfully in honor of somebody in the room or are you in the middle of the russia is also threatening to use nuclear weapons that could easily reach every city in europe, the,

i am afraid of nuclear weapons. yes, i'm afraid also because i live in bro, linda the today almost the entire baltic sea, surrounded by needle member states and nato allies, sweden, russia has only 2 access points to leading broad and st. petersburg. 6 fall is the same though, so need. so has direct access to strategic positions and the bold succeeds because for example, the islands of government, but also fields infinity and among other places destitute. and so russian naval access to the baltic sea could be blocked in the event of we'll have, you know, and thanks for the help talk you have that it was a very different picture before the fall of the soviet union. during the cold war, the baltic sea was almost entirely surrounded by warsaw pact, countries,

the soviet union and its satellite states. and by the neutral states of finland and sweden. it was a position of power which protein appears to want back but today, the de facto balance of power on the world's oceans is undeniable. nieto has 16 aircraft carriers. russia has one. nato, has 13 helicopter carriers. russia has none. nieto has 135 frigates. russia has 11 needle has over 2000 to military ships under its compact. russia has just under 600 russians, underwater capabilities are formidable. the country has more than 40 nuclear powered submarines around 10 on with nuclear weapons. drugs from leadership savings of russia as of a superpower. and the only reason why can be conceded to the super

powers, the flags at its nuclear also now is biggest of all except for the united states. they do play these concerts all the time. and that's why as a week they are in terms of conventional weapons, the strong guys they attempt station to use for, for 3 of them. uh, using uh nuclear weapons. but the relationship between russia and the west on the baltic sea was not always as fractured as it is today. a former german chancellor. i'm going to america. and president vladimir pushing sunk regular contract, apparently hoping to maintain good economic relations, get an extra box the order is that good stuff even though just eat so just to let you know that i will do what do you see with your question? which was but then things changed. get the most of the will

uh, premium uh, premium, i'd say the final break came in september 2012 the discharge enough to go with them . the ability suton had decided to remain in power forever, so that there would be no more transition of power, no cost to build, see that they're able to put them funding and their own. i don't know, i'm just going, you shouldn't go to just to sal and for that he needed an external enemy, a super human animate devotion. you move that there's no harm over and you can't find a better enemy. the nato eat lots of sham, not the garden able to do with the soviet union had collapsed with nito remained and even gained new members for approaching the nato expansion is fundamental to his narrative. guns, clod, dition, yeah, rushes these ne. so as it may not just theory, the one that poses the graces to stretch so sure, at least from the russian perspective, i'm not just in military time hired the most go relates fee of that nature was

planning a kind of to, to talk to the post the government needs to give them got to, let's say, ross, stock is the strategically important naval base and home to the german naval command. vice admiral front lensky is one of the country's highest ranking officers . but his task is not purely a military one. e o, c is i need to know soon as the ball succeeds, an international body of water, making them with a speaking, it's extremely important to maintain open shipping where it's at. and that's also true for russia. by the way, at least one side of it. simple, it's an ex post pos through some paints, his book will so. so russia also has a great deal of interest in keeping the baltic see result is the dealing in is a german mind hunting vessel. it patrols the baltic sea along with many other nato vessels. for a long time, the underwater threat here was largely fear radical says

i'm willing to do a snack. so he says, i think that's good on the, i'm the, this is a military vessel i used to detect the presence or absence of mine because it's all like we have to send to detect them and on. so i'm the equipment to destroy the all done finished and so can, in addition to that, so i'm going to, we can also lane minds of south league. the mission has become broader and more dangerous. since the start of the invasion of ukraine, new threats have emerged, such as underwater attacks on pipelines and threats to internet and power cables. yes, and that's outside this, so nobody let me out and divide doesn't always covered up to that. we now have a new responsibility conducting on the water monitoring. we have to have any changes on the scene that out in the monitors at frequent intervals, leasing, often leaving the port knocked off the phone. that was the whole, the investigation of the attacks. i know that stream pipeline to i'm speak of the not seeing pipeline,

lieutenant fritz can provide any details. the mission is classified. who exactly carried out the attack is still a matter of speculation. all of the, the crew i've been doing and conduct frequent drills to prepare for emergencies like defending the ship from a direct assault of course the very by the the yes. the images. yeah. so is it about what they do? yeah. one scenario is an attack by terrorists on this be boat. yeah, yeah. right. so

the russian warships are still deployed on the baltic the but getting a little, what was interesting give said, are you all counsellors with the russian ships? do you happen to hear the bone succeeds on sunday. i don't want to fall through most on the so we do have encounters like got to do, but they all take place under the principles of good semen shipped. and to me, it's like a gentleman's agreement that the government you don't hang during on the vessels progress, a lot of costs because we keep a close eye on what they're doing. good. and if there's anything unusual, if it's reported to me and gets evaluated right, types of edits, those reports are also strictly classified, habitable getting it all ready to go in and do that both the way to to to also yeah,

like was on small noise. yep. nito, finland and sweden have also conducted drawing naval exercises even before fin lynch joined tomato or because, well that's what it says, a good corporation is very, very close it on for several years now. we've seen frequency invitations to take out some international move this under. it's not unusual for the finish and swedish navy is to join us on exercise by owns mit it sweden and finland, particularly feel the threat from russia. sweden has applied for nato membership. finland joined in 2023. it supported with russia is more than 1300 kilometers long . in land is jasmine and had always been neutral. it made a deliberate decision to remain outside of nato for a very long time. it based it security strategy on remaining neutral and

maintaining. i would say that and so even good relations with russia as much as possible, even during the cold war. and i think it was at the same time finland to maintain the strong military, especially among its russian border. it strategy, the best possible relations with russia and the best possible defense against this cost benefit calculation hasn't gone dimensionally changed since the war against ukraine bowl lisp, historical speaking, germany's defense minister in january 2023. it's not about the tone, but i want to emphasize again that germany is by a clear margin, the highest contributor to ukraine in the european union stars. we are proud to provide the support because we believe it is important and necessary. and after the usa, we are on par with great britain. every military conflict, everywhere of aggression against us up in states always carries the risk of escalation is cut off fuel the against oldenburg.

the norwegian secretary general of nato, has been a key advocate of nato enlargement. in europe, from the start, your sources attack on ukraine is more than the tackle. new crane is that is a devastating horrendous attack on the innocent people in ukraine, but is also an attack on the holes if you'd a pin security order. and that's the reason why we take it so it experiences. stilton bread also regularly travels to stock home to meet with the swedish defence, administer polo the own son, and offer his support for the country's efforts to join me to some a aerial, to open book. that's that the can you get the through the shows the outbreak of war on february 24th. it's been clear that russia is prepared to take major military

and political risk and we have to be prepared for that. next of that, one thing we've learned from this war is that if you want to have access to article 5 to nato's defense guarantees and noodles defense planning, you have to be a full member of nato just because on the i think the most, some of my food in vidalia nieto headquarters in brussels. although russia wanted to weaken the alliance, the attack on ukraine has had the opposite effect. in may 2022, finland, and sweden submitted their official letter of application to join nato as they moved by the lender. then one of the 2 countries submitted their applications. i realized we were witnessing history in the making. after all, those countries when neutral for a long time, sweden for more than 200 years. and the fitness became neutral toward the alliance in the 1950s sizeable, not entirely voluntarily. we've been working closely with both countries,

so it was an exciting, big moment. my phone, i'm cause only the swedish defense university and stockholm is an elite school for future military leaders. yackel best bag and internationally recognized expert in war studies. teachers here the halls are steeped in history, a concrete at the cost gum, snow depths, but of the live show that's friday. okay, and that's good news is wrong to much to sweden and finland reply from the time i missed you. i missed a couple of minutes. the russian government basically said to that's no surprise to us. yeah, i mean you can also that west and well for a long time, clear the high your into so still if we not and you know to, we got the had, i was a week response of soul people because it was a major strategic the fee to rush me at the house and i didn't want to admit that it's the old stuff to you. i just need to know it's a military parade in moscow. on may, 9th, 2023,

march the 78th anniversary of the soviet victory over nazi germany. the, the kremlin itself has broad nato, even closer to russia's borders with this war against ukraine, the, and yet people in russia don't see this as a defeat. as russian foreign ministers sergey lab ross made clear at the united nations. on april 25th 2023. they just set down so that i see a but that was but of the thirty's, little shooting. you're not the you. unable, supported with. the claim is that rush to try to prevent nato expansion. well, no, that's how they see it. from there, i re tower. we to have our ivory towers. and the conclusions of unbiased observers and political analysts in russia and abroad, which was that nato wanted to break up the russian federation and ended up uniting it was when it's and i see is good figured, it's like, you know,

you're split to nikolai petroff is a russian security expert who lives in exile in germany it's easy to present whatever is going as a victorious move for rush and even the fields in these war wage could be seen as humans eating the seats. i can see that to be not that much defense because there are, should oppose this, not ukraine. it's opposes the whole west. it oppose us made the which is much stronger. but nevertheless russia is doing pretty well in view of criminal propagandists and general ed population. oh, jerome inova is a well known journalist and human rights activist and russia. she also lives in exile in germany. the regular was near it to work and can't afford to lose this for any of the keys acting according to the churchill

doctrine directly. so we'll just check what that should be in the blue and us. the churchill said, if napoleon had had the prompt a newspaper, no one would ever have known that he lost the battle of waterloo and to put in the pretty good and can afford to lose the ukraine. war was still just kinda clear. it also stands behind sweden's bid to join nato distribution submarines and operate them in the baltic sea or then we have a skilled fleet with modern corvettes and the ability to operate in coastal areas and move around the idea that you just now you also have a strong defense industry in sweden, city out of bosses. right. and there's no other country in the world with 10000000 inhabitants that can build and design both submarines and combat aircraft for those 2 days clicked on. another important factor is good land. a swedish island in the baltic sea. busy

chalk those coming for the opportunity for later on. so sam and o told him he's one of 3 strategic p and pull some times in the politics. the region are treat for and homes another item, it's a danish territory. so, you know, to look for from russia's colleen in grafton and just tossed the entry way to the politics. a con spot on the golf outlet is not the only significant time at all central alarm, but it's like and on the single that across kerio instantly a place for a military force is, can be stationed. so notice forward for, for, to go through and i'll say add printer on the baltic. she was also on the front lines during the cold war. and when germany was still divided and the countries of nato and the warsaw pact were enemies. the balance of power in the region at that time is difficult to assess military strength is not just about the number of ships and soldiers. it's also

a question of the quality of the ship's weapons and training for the crews. overall, the warsaw pact forces probably had an edge the this is a rocket corvette, a worship from the former east, german folks, some of the know the people's navy in the 1980 his whole goodnight old captain to ship. much like this one in the feeling came on board in the front or 6 in the middle. we had 4 missiles on board with a range of 80 kilometers and an altitude of 25 to 50 meters to engage. so our mission was to destroy the enemy surface forces, mainly and then a rocket launcher since the enemy mine layers. the enemy's offensive forces opens these customer base photos from the

1980s document every day life on board. in retrospect, it seems like the calm before the store, the close item does of industry for the most of the large vessels and the soviet lead would have been moved to the atlantic to find the enemy forces. there is our aim was to take control of the straits from our side, the dana streams and then extend our control. only one also can go pfeiffer, also served as captain in the east german navy on the baltic sea during the cold war. these normally calm waters became very dangerous to us to buy. and so it could be that this dark, some concept thought soon the baltic sea, the marine region, with the highest concentration of naval forces and a half of us as a field, according to marsan, genes about 1000, $350.00 naval vessels was stationed here in the baltic sea area that includes the

night to naval forces on the wall sort packed apart, i'm sending and then sweden as neutral status as well to stop a wholesale about $600.00 had a cold, isn't that planes going this marine region? so we have the largest concentration of military forces in the world. best buy to nato, and the warsaw pact. states were constantly preparing for war. the 2 sides were engaged in an honest race, including in the baltic sea. a major confrontation appeared imminent and both sides feared that the other might resort to nuclear weapons. and yet it did not come to ward. so how follow tile was the situation really, the spiritual hobbies need to commend is much like the roman mars. such, i rent documents that set the whole soul packed ministry leadership. in other words,

the sort of the at home forces august to have good reason to believe that night time was not planning to start to long. see that that's not what we believed in former east germany. we were always supposed to be ready for the audio. even on the weekends, the ships were required to be at 80 percent capacity just because even when the west german navy, it was a flock of a home, might be launched on the weekend with this bought rubbish gold. i'll go into the next week or so just to be able to travel and collection today. many believe the baltic states are much chicken lily vulnerable. they were once part of the soviet union, and russia appears to europe for the days of soviet greatness. the in march 2022, the stoney and prime minister kaya call us paid a visit to nito headquarters in brussels. she urge the allies to help protect just don't the black,

the end of the so we need to deter moscow. i think we have to double our efforts to put in cannot win this war. this is very important to all of us to, to the security of nature as well. and the 2nd thing we need to discuss is how to increase our defense spending and how to do it to a very wisely, as so that we strengthen the eastern flank, especially the both the countries because we can't have these plans to uh, you know, a defend the country alone and then the neighborhood afterwards. so, so that's why we need to have to come from the, to terrance a poster to defense plans and, and to very specific things to strengthen our parts of the alliance of what's on the ship. the. it's called the ball to ship the ship to city was and i'm blessed to

be of the sea food and believes that any of his tank divisions could invade estonia for lithuania or latvia, and no one would resist him. when you to him, it doesn't matter. one bit that these countries joined tomato in 2004 to with those of us probably cut those to be new for them. not the for the dish. children got, do you now to is, will send you building on the nato is militarily superior to russia. and russian needs to understand that so that they don't even consider after attacking ukraine. also attacking another neighbor or the baltic states. both take partners kept telling us this was a real threat to be though we know did i had so much for the idea that these kind of imperialistic solutions that existed and seemed crazy? imperative is just a moment. that of the law, the airbase is not far from ra, stopped. you're the baltic sea to launch a euro fighter squadrons are stationed here with more than 70 aircraft in total.

from here, they also protect the baltic states the several times a day, euro fighters take off from logger to secure the air space. the euro fighter tri food is a well equipped aircraft for combat situations. the fighter jet features up to 3 external fuel tanks, as well as g p. s. and laser guided missiles for ariel and air to ground combat. the veto is stepped up. it's military exercises to test its combat readiness. a ryan $23.00 multi face exercise included one of the largest tactical lending exercises in decades. it simulated the invasion of a smaller country by its larger neighbour training how to defend against the invader. ramp on troops and i've

left to strike faust or hot and strong each. it's a unique combat situation for the french army because it allows us to cross the front lines and strike attending the field. the voltage 23, was a large scale naval exercise in the baltic sea as a show of force, the most advanced american aircraft carrier, the us, as gerald, our ford arrived in european waters at the same time. the nieto and allied forces are constantly training to defend against and attack. the

defender 23 was the largest deployment exercise of air forces in need us history. do all of these military exercises, risk provoking restaurant? what else for you? and we've been conducting both tops for decades. so let me see, this is one of several regular exercises we carry out of the baltic sales on coast, just like the northern coast exercise prussia carries out similar exercises. at the end of the day. these exercises and maneuvers are an essential part of maintaining your armed forces. that's why it's not unusual for armed forces who are deployed as a deterrent to carry out exercises. which also sends the signal that we are in

a position to take successful action of if need be a boy in a home. so that is not enough. how little something to that over the last 10 to 15 years, a specific logic tended to shape our policy towards russia in the mantra was, don't provoke russia in order to avoid war. but with rushes full scale attack on ukraine, many people, including political decision makers, have finally understood that the central issue is not one of the west and publication funded most goes own well g, like which is largely impervious to outside influence. a 3rd on the status which views and defines us in 1985, a large scale, botox or baltic operation, was carried out back then. it was certainly a provocation. the maneuver in the vault 6 was in the soviet union's backyard. the,

the us, as iowa was an enormous battleship, 270 meters long, and 33 meters wide larger than the titanic today. it's docked in los angeles. as of loading museum shipped in 1985, it was believed to have had nuclear capabilities. both alternatives if you will say tarzan, this of course cost us the most will pack leadership. it's was off the roll of knowledge combining ship with 16 inch guns on 3 target and the $632.00 cruise missiles on board with christmas. it was the 1st nuclear equipped carrier to sign into the baltic sea cuts the whole us making those phone sizes through us navy. these photos were taken by the east german navy. the us, as iowa was a symbol of nato strength and of the decline of the warsaw pact.

the video had read this out to me a while ago, scarf and of a. so if you guys happen to go off late to mentioned in a speech to members of the u. s. navy, i see is that they were very surprised and impressed by us naval technology. i think the u. s. navy will find the vaughn on the appraised to us navy and the come by power of the ship, good, sort of and admitted that we couldn't stand up to the comfort cost. these extra for english fits wouldn't let's, it's affordable the dust money in the game. but at the at the same time in 1985 secret plans were unfolding at keep our kona on the east german island route. and here lies a relic of the pat, just a former east german bunker on the far tip of the island. a good night of the former corvette captain in the east german navy knows what it was used for.

fitting, thanks for the outside. in the event of war, the bunker was intended to ensure that the high command remained operation awful as it was originally planned to how 70 men. the bunker covers 2000 square meters and was built by soldiers from assessments, naval and construction battalion, all the other ones, or substance readings, thomas the board side. while it was still under construction and 1985, the photo of the open excavation pit was published in a book about the eastern german military. and then the bunch of other times someone realized what had happened. it was too late to some of the books had already been sold for the cost. the remaining copies were destroyed, with the location had been revealed that it was now public knowledge and public and 50000. he said, it's all the kind in the event of war,

the bunker would be an obvious target. it was a mistake that in some ways is symbolic of the decline of the east, german military and of the soviet union. as the leading power of the warsaw pact, 6 years later, soviet occupation forces began their withdrawal from germany. a defeat that main like that him you're approaching never came to terms with even 30 years later, it is an experience. he seems not to have forgotten i think they had the vision of how the cold war ended is very different in the russian to the west. and the ideas they have to say that the union was defeated and failed, which is so widespread that the west is not

a shred by majority of russians. they view, it wasn't them who did stop the cold water and they failed human nation. it was that the case as a flag that pushing cameron prime is to restore these rushes gloria as role was very positively taken by russians. but do you, did you, did i see if you do not see like e mail to void, you read st. petersburg july 31st 202214 signs a new naval doctor and the pomp and ceremony were suggestive of a former world power with new global ambitions city. amelia, of what you're saying. the formulas of the

on the same day of large naval parade took place in saint petersburg in his speech, putting outlined russia's new naval doctor. the issue at the measure of our areas of national interest are 1st and foremost, our waters of the articles, the black sea, misty of will cuts the bearings see in the baltic, and coral straight to the order. we will protect them firmly and by any means necessary. the key here is the capabilities of our neighborhood, and this device, it is capable of responding with lightning speed to anyone who wants to encroach on our sovereignty and freedom's level. the. but what does the new naval doctrine mean for nato? the

yeah, but listen, is this, and with russia, it doesn't really matter whether there was a new don't train or an old one because russia makes up the same rules as it goes along. there's no consistency is the only constant is that they are again, that western values like freedom wouldn't be safe, tried everything in the power to one to mine corporation, within nato and within the european union. but with the majority innovation, it's gonna take now change the exact opposite, i don't, i would guess, but some people in putin's in a circle are rubbing that always in disbelief. and when i didn't think they expected, basically somebody who is because i said, but russia has another key bargaining chip. colleen in rod, according to russian threats, nuclear weapons, will be waiting here for the west end tomato. colleen and crowd was once a part of the former province of each prussia. then it was called clinics back and was occupied in 1945 by the soviet union. as the crow flies,

it's just 500 kilometers from berlin. cleaning up some, i know the dodging should be able to smile. you know, i've often loved to leningrad is important to the russian navy in the ground forces housing down the domestic force of the baltic fleet house, the house of russia's maritime military strategy. and the politics, the regional, but it's also important for most goes ground forces because it serves as a russian outpost in the middle of nato and e u territory, on stationing besides, the for example, is to come. the messiahs provides russia with much boston access to europe and serves as a deterrent during piece of time science and the abstract and difficult in 5. and tom. russia has threatened to station nuclear weapons and coming in crowd, but in reality, they've probably been there for years already. lots of mall godaddy. i can close up to add up, they'll take it up, but it's not my get. i would say russia is being very reckless and it's rhetoric

when it threatens nuclear weapons that the smoke, when it carries out exercises with nuclear weapons, and often the, or the, it's irresponsible into stabilizing this w. c. i absolutely reject russia's behavior from this guy. get either way, the real question is would pushing resort to the use of nuclear weapons, the t is aging. and so she did express these couple of times that into so from nuclear kept us are off. we'll go to paradise and our animals will go to hill. uh which a is not the real threat of but which means that he can seem confused direction, at least just of water. yeah. so, so you have to beautiful discussion why she's through the label. she in version the

frankly, i believe in coupons madness. he's a studio beach. it is really important for him to remain in the history books as the great one, the, the great collector of russian land. the great victor of nato will show people that, that which one of the produce that's back to the beginning of the current conflict and ukraine. a war not launched by nato. the. what's the effect? i'm a tucked under this mission. if russia succeeds in ukraine, this will not be the final attack. because we have to make this clear to russia guys to vladimir putin squished you off with the jump to speaks with him from time to time. but i don't think it's possible to reach him, at least he's behaving like a madman in bonds. and yet he's also responsible for the death of many thousands of russian soldiers. so that's why i'm saving homeless. the

12 as a kind of push this to get, and i don't think the world will end in the near future for form, and i don't see a winner emerging in the near future either nation. that's why it's so important that we did not stop setting. an example in our support for ukraine is to, to, didn't quite unit to that's the is now with us has reached us. you'll just, you lose your last name. but it's important that we don't delude ourselves, that there will be an easy way out to somebody else in the short term. and possibly not even in the museum time is the underlying question is, is there a viable way out of this country to considering the current political system in russia and the above will give them the current ruler, the current regime. now i don't think there is because this imperialist weld viewing this belief that russia is under threats

a very deeply ingrained dash for i'm caught as nato secretary general young stoughton berg went to keep in early 2023 and paid a visit to the wall of remembrance honoring falling ukrainian soldiers leaving the world where we have extra hope for going on in your with the large scale military operations we haven't seen in europe since the 2nd world war. the, the honest race on the baltic sea is far from over. a new cold war is raging on european waters. a conflict that is causing terrible suffering and one which bears incalculable risks for the world. the

book, the environment, trends, technology colors, digitalization, stall, tops, new market, new media. the world is accelerating. sees the opportunity. the challenge is to try new things. take slides, we see that we use business magazine in germany. in 30 minutes on d, w. and to the conflict with tim, sebastian america, expecting to stay down to the clinton was finally emerging in the long delay that's, that's a whole slide in us china relations. the main sticking point is sco taiwan. i guess

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on youtube the . this is dw news and these are our top stories. galvan military officials have named general greece of the gate and gave him a as the new head of state. after ousting president ali, bundle rebel officers these power, soon after bundle was declared the winner of a recent disputed election. the deposed president is under house arrest and the military has closed the borders to the central african nation. us authorities say hurricane and dalia is the strongest storm to hit forward as go.