Baltic occupation, new bases, and the Soviet sea-access problem

The Soviet occupation of the Baltic states inflicted severe abuses while giving Moscow a naval advantage. From Admiral Nikolay Kuznetsov's perspective, additional coastline, ports, and infrastructure made the Baltic Fleet less vulnerable around its main base. The fleet still faced a perennial Russian strategic problem because other states could control its access from enclosed waters to global maritime trade. An older mercantilist outlook treated control of straits and resources as a measure of national power, unlike modern confidence in international transit. The Soviet Union also bought important naval technology from Germany while fearing dependence on foreign-controlled access. Baltic geography connected bases and trade routes to a persistent sense of strategic insecurity.