May 2000 saw "Sheffield" deployed on an eight-week deployment into the Baltic Sea, which included a two-week BALTOPS 2000 - France, Germany, Sweden, Denmark, United States, Poland, Estonia, Lithuania, Latvia and the Netherlands all contributed ships to the exercise, which involved aspects of search and rescue as well as military joint exercises. "Sheffield" later visited Kiel, then Gdynia, the Twin city of Plymouth, with the Lord Mayor of Plymouth before visiting St. Petersburg in Russia. "Sheffield" visited Kotka in Finland before Klaipėda in Lithuania, as the first major British warship to visit the city. "Sheffield" returned home on 26 July.