OTTAWA: Canada on Sunday deployed two warships to the Baltic Sea and North Atlantic, joining a pair of frigates already in the region, to reinforce NATO's eastern flank in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Her Majesty's Canadian Ships (HMCS) Kingston and Summerside set sail for a four-month deployment as part of "deterrence measures in Central and Eastern Europe" launched in 2014 after Moscow annexed Crimea, the Canadian navy said in a statement.

Through October, the ships will participate in naval mine sweeping exercises and maintain a "high readiness" allowing them to "quickly and effectively respond in support of any NATO operations," it added.

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HMCS Halifax and Montreal are scheduled to return to port in July from the so-called Operation Reassurance -- which is currently Canada's largest deployment abroad.

The mission also includes roughly 700 Canadian troops in Latvia with artillery and electronic warfare capabilities, as well as several military aircraft.