Russia's Access to the Atlantic: Via the Baltic Sea, Not Direct Coastline

Russia does not have a direct coastline on the Atlantic Ocean. Its western border reaches the Baltic Sea (via the Gulf of Finland and Kaliningrad Oblast), which connects to the Atlantic through the Danish Straits and the North Sea. Thus, Russian ships can access the Atlantic, but only by transiting the territorial waters of other nations. This geographic constraint has historically influenced Russian naval strategy and geopolitics.