Dear readers,

When I go sailing, I want to switch off - everyday life and world events stay on land. Then all that matters is the boat, the wind and the water. That's how it used to be, but it's no longer that simple. Turning point is no longer just a key term in German foreign policy. No, it has also become a reality on our own doorstep. A reality that recently caught up with me in the western Fehmarnbelt when I encountered a Russian warship!

It was Monday lunchtime, the sky and the Baltic Sea merged into a single grey. A force five wind from the west, gusting to six. We were just passing the southern exit of the Great Belt when a granite-grey steel colossus emerged from the grey soup directly ahead.

The shape of the ship was reminiscent of a specialised dredger. As we were close to the construction site for the Fehmarnbelt tunnel, this would not have been unusual. But the closer we got, the clearer it became that it was a warship.

But there was something wrong with it: a pointed bow, a high superstructure far aft. The stern was cut off vertically, and there were large cannons both amidships and at the stern. No - I had never seen a ship like this before.

My curiosity was piqued. The AIS will provide information, I thought. But the grey colossus sent no signal. A premonition crept up inside me. I started an image search on the internet, looking for the large, white "110" on the bow - and my suspicions were confirmed. It was the "Aleksandr Shabalin", a 112 metre long Russian landing ship from the Soviet era. What was she doing here?

It also turned out that it was apparently not the only Russian warship that has been spotted in the region in recent months. A reader recently told us about an almost identical encounter - only he came across the "Vizeadmiral Kulakov", an old destroyer from Soviet times. Here too, the AIS was switched off. German and Danish coastguards were guarding the ship within sight.

Have you also seen a Russian warship? Then you can Report to the Federal Police here.

Of course, the fact that Russian ships are causing uncertainty in the Baltic Sea is nothing new. As a news junkie, I've been reading for months about the shadow fleet, spy ships and how Russia recently misused the wreck of the "Estonia" for espionage purposes, as reported by NDR, WDR and SZ.

And I've also come to terms with the grey ships of the German Navy. Hardly a trip goes by without encountering them. Whether submarines, minesweepers or tenders - the they have become a frighteningly familiar sight.

Mmore on the subject:

• Baltic Sea surveillance: New NATO operation asks sailors for help
• Bundeswehr: Navy strengthens presence in the Baltic Sea: What sailors need to know

But to be on a collision course with a Russian warship? That was a new dimension. At least for me.

What exactly was the ship doing there? Unclear - at least publicly. According to the federal police, it was allowed to stay there. Because it was outside territorial waters - so the explanation goes. Since then, several media outlets have been speculating: is it connected to the drone attacks of recent weeks? Is it an outpost protecting the route of the shadow fleet?

However, at the end of the day, you are left with a queasy feeling - and the realisation that sailing never takes place in a vacuum. The Baltic Sea has long been more than just an area for recreational skippers. It has become a theatre of geopolitical tensions, whether we want to admit it or not. The turning point has also caught up with us sailors.

Fabian Boerger

YACHT editor

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