Russian Iskander missiles are said to have a range of 500 kilometers.
And the ability to carry nuclear warheads too.
From the Kaliningrad exclave they could reach Helsinki, Stockholm or even Berlin.
And since the beginning of the year, Russia has deployed these weapons systems right there.
Although Kaliningrad is Russian territory, it is not connected to Russia proper, but can only be reached by sea or overland on transit routes through Poland and Lithuania.
For two weeks, Lithuania has been blocking individual deliveries of goods to Kaliningrad in implementation of EU sanctions against Russia.
The exclave thus becomes the focus of diplomatic skirmishes between the Russian aggressor and his compliant adjutant Belarus on the one hand and the EU and NATO on the other.
"In a way, the Kaliningrad region is like a magnifying glass that shows how much potential for conflict is actually associated with these economic sanctions," explains Dr.
Cindy Wittke, head of the political research group at the University of Regensburg in the podcast.
"And of course also that this Kaliningrad region is an Achilles' heel of the Russian state and what geostrategic importance this region has."
more on the subject
Conflict over Kaliningrad: »As if the Iron Curtain is lowering again« Christina lever and Yevgeny Kondakov report from Sovetsk (photos)
Russian Exclave on the Baltic Sea: How Kaliningrad Became the New FlashpointBy Christian Neef
Sanctioned goods: Russia is allowed to deliver to Kaliningrad again - this is what the deal looks likeBy Ralf Neukirch and Jan Petter, Brussels and Vilnius
At the same time, Kaliningrad is also a lever for Vladimir Putin to process the solidarity of the West in the network against Russia's aggressive war against Ukraine - not only because of the armament of the area, which has been going on for years.
Because although experts are not currently expecting a Russian attack on the Baltic States to create a land connection between the exclave and the Russian-controlled area, such mental games are excellently suited to the Kremlin's currently preferred form of communication: the threat of devastating consequences.
Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov speaks of a new Iron Curtain in which the West will get its fingers crossed and Putin himself promises to equip Belarus with nuclear-capable Iskender missiles.
Also to control the supply corridor between Poland and Lithuania.
"Russia has narrowed the movement corridor for NATO here," says Dr.
Cindy Wittke, »It was made clear here that this corridor could also be opened up quickly via air defense or classic ground troops.
In other words, you currently have a very strong outpost of the Russian defensive and offensive strategy in the Kaliningrad region and in Belarus.”
How is the exclave integrated into the Russian war narrative?
What options does the West have to react to the Kaliningrad situation?
And what role does Belarus play in this?
This is what Dr.
Cindy Wittke in the SPIEGEL podcast "Eight billion".
Listen to the current episode here: