ST. PETERSBURG, Nov. 5 (Xinhua) -- NATO forces are practicing a scenario involving the blockade of Russia's Kaliningrad region during their ongoing military exercises, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko said in an interview published by the Russian newspaper Izvestia on Wednesday.

"During NATO exercises, scenarios such as the blockade of the Kaliningrad region are being rehearsed. The region of the Baltic Sea is undergoing active militarization, with coalition forces and assets being built up," Grushko said.

Kaliningrad is a Russian exclave on the Baltic Sea, bordered by Lithuania and Poland, both members of NATO. It hosts the headquarters of Russia's Baltic Fleet.

The NATO Multinational Brigade in Latvia is undergoing the active phase of its Resolute Warrior military exercises.

Grushko noted that the Baltic region had long been a region of collaboration, where local issues were resolved peacefully. "Now ... this part of Europe has been turned into a zone of confrontation," Grushko said. ■