In recent years, the Kaliningrad Special Region played an important role in countering the U.S. missile defense system in Europe.
In 1991 and 1992, the headquarters of the Baltic Fleet began conducting research on the creation of a combined Armed Forces group for the Kaliningrad region.
[3] Following the dissolution of the Soviet Union, and the subsequent accession of Poland and the Baltic states into NATO, Kaliningrad became isolated from the rest of Russia.
However, its geographical location also makes it ideal for the deployment of forces, electronic reconnaissance and attack missile units directed at the rest of Europe.
[5] After the collapse of the USSR, the region was one of the most militarized areas of the Russian Federation, and had the highest density of military installations in Europe.
[8] In April 2015 at a special meeting at the Russian Ministry of Defense, in response to the crisis in Ukraine and the increase in the NATO contingent in the Baltic States and Poland, it was decided to strengthen the troops in the Kaliningrad region and the Baltic Fleet: another motorized rifle brigade would be added to Russian troops in the region, plus an artillery battery/coastal antiship complex.