A Russian plan to re-examine its maritime borders in the Baltic Sea is causing concern among its European neighbours.
Russia's Ministry of Defence on Tuesday published an initiative to "determine geographical coordinates" in the Baltic Sea because previous Soviet-era boundaries were inaccurate.
It highlighted maritime borders near Russian islands in the Gulf of Finland and others off the coast of the cities of Baltiysk and Zelenogradsk in Russia's Kaliningrad exclave, which borders Poland and Lithuania.
The Soviet era coordinates did not allow for a continuous border line, the Defence Ministry said.
Russia's neighbours do not agree
"This is further proof that Russia's aggressive and revisionist policy poses a threat to the security of neighbouring countries and Europe as a whole," said a statement from the Lithuanian Foreign Ministry on Wednesday.
It called the document a "deliberate, targeted and escalating provocation" aimed at intimidating neighbouring countries. The ministry said it would summon the Russian envoy in Lithuania and coordinate with partners to discuss the document.
In Finland, President Alexander Stubb wrote on the social media platform X: "Russia has not contacted Finland on this matter. Finland is acting as always: calmly and on the basis of facts."
Sweden's army chief Micael Bydén warned of Moscow's territorial ambitions in the Baltic Sea, particularly with regard to the large Swedish island of Gotland.
"I am sure that Putin has both eyes on Gotland," Bydén told the German media group RND. "Putin's goal is to gain control of the Baltic Sea," he added.
Russian news agencies on Wednesday reported that military sources denied the project was an attempt to expand Russia's territory. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said political considerations were not behind the initiative.