Two Russian frigates were spotted from a Canadian warship carrying Prime Minister Stephen Harper during NATO military exercises on the Baltic Sea on Tuesday.
Harper was aboard HMCS Fredericton, which was participating in an annual NATO military exercise known as BALTOPS, short for Baltic Operations.
There was no danger to the prime minister and nothing further came of the encounter.
Defence Minister Jason Kenney was also on board, and he peered at the two Russian frigates through binoculars on Wednesday.
"These two Russian frigates were tracking the bulk of the NATO vessels about 15 nautical miles northwest of here,” Kenney told reporters. “But a few hours ago they changed their direction and started coming west towards the HMCS Fredericton.”
He added that it wasn’t clear where the Russian vessels were headed.
Cmdr. Jeffrey Murray, the ship’s captain, said the Russian frigates were several nautical miles away and he called their presence “normal.”
"Their interactions have been non-interfering and non-threatening, so we carry on with our exercises and our operations, and there's been no impact," Murray told reporters.
He noted that Russia has a base not far away, near Poland.
Harper used the opportunity to once again denounce Russia’s leader, and possibly win votes.
“Mr. Putin’s recklessness threatens global stability, regional stability and has spread fear among our eastern allies,” he said.
Pollster Nik Nanos said the comments are aimed at Canada million-strong eastern European community.
“There are a series of ridings in Western Canada that are in play, that have significant Ukrainian- populations, and this is an issue that’s important to them,” he said.
Russia used to participate in BALTOPS, but pulled out of the operation about two years ago.
Relations between Russia and the West have become strained since that time, due in large part to Moscow's support for separatist rebels in Ukraine
Harper and his wife, Laureen, boarded HMCS Fredericton at a port in Gdynia, Poland, as part of his extended tour of eastern Europe.
With a report from CTV’s Katie Simpson and files from the Canadian Press
Prime Minister Stephen Harper uses binoculars to look at foreign warships on the horizon as the HMCS Fredericton sails in the Baltic Sea on Wednesday, June 10, 2015. (Adrian Wyld / THE CANADIAN PRESS)
