Putin unveils terrifying Black Sea sub as eastern bloc NATO nations are warned Russia is ‘taking control of the region’
The Russians are 'tooling up' amid fears NATO will crumble if Donald Trump pulls America out of the alliance
VLADIMIR Putin’s naval forces have unveiled their latest super-stealth submarine to be deployed patrolling the Black Sea - as a shocking new report reveals Russia is 'taking over' the region.
Kremlin bosses promised the superpower would never allow the sea to become a “NATO lake” and they firmly believe the military alliance would crumble if, as feared, the Americans pull out.
Now a new report by the Center for European Policy Analysis - called Black Sea Imperatives - claims Putin is rapidly taking control of the region.
It states: "The balance of power in the Black Sea is changing in Russia’s favour. Moscow is enhancing its Black Sea fleet and will possess a stronger navy than Turkey in the coming decade if its plans for expansion and modernisation are fully realised.
"Moscow seeks supremacy in the Black Sea in order to restore its Eurasian dominion by projecting power toward all littoral states, as well as toward the Balkans, the Eastern Mediterranean and the Middle East.
"Russia’s offensives in and around the Black Sea are part of a larger anti-NATO strategy in which naval forces play a significant and growing role.
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"It exploits the Black Sea as a more advantageous method of neo-imperial revisionism than extensive land conquests. Control of ports and sea lanes prevents NATO from ensuring security for its Black Sea members or intervening on behalf of vulnerable neighbours."
It's feared Moscow has been planning to invade the Baltic States for quite some time now.
The communist power bloc has been losing territories to NATO with Montenegro recently joining the US-led alliance.
But Putin's government has vowed to bring back the glory of the former Soviet state - by force if needed.
The Kremlin recently moved long range ballistic missiles to Kaliningrad for its Eastern Europe 'invasion plans'.
Meanwhile, eleven NATO countries have sent 4,000 troops to Lithuania, on the Russian border, to participate in this year’s Iron Sword exercises.
The war games are meant to test the country’s ability to rapidly deploy a large number of troops.
The stealth sub is the latest addition to its Black Sea fleet which is capable of striking land, sea and underwater targets.
The vessel, which sports advanced stealth technologies and increased combat range was officially launched in St. Petersburg on Wednesday.
It is the sixth and final Varshavyanka class ubmarine built for deployment with the fleet, navy spokesman Captain Igor Dygalo said Wednesday
"The sub is the final in the series of six boats of this class built specifically for the Black Sea Fleet," the official added.
Should Trump decide for the US to leave NATO, it's feared the long-standing alliance could fall apart.
Former RAF head Sir Michael Graydon claims a NATO minus the US is not strong enough to protect Eastern Europe.
He said that the Trump decision should not be taken lightly and European leaders should prepare for the inevitable.
The Black Sea region, a critical front line for Western security, is increasingly subject to turmoil and threat.
A stable NATO eastern flank enables the US to defend its interests from Central Europe to the Middle East.
But an unstable Black Sea region weakens the alliance and undermines the pursuit of Western interests.