NATO has announced the launch of a new special operation in the Baltic Sea aimed at protecting underwater cables.
The NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte announced the launch of a new NATO operation called Baltic Sentry, aimed at enhancing the protection of underwater infrastructure in the Baltic Sea.
As part of Baltic Sentry, the alliance's military presence in the Baltic will be strengthened, which is expected to improve the allies' ability to respond to destabilizing actions.
The operation will involve frigates, maritime patrol aircraft, and other resources.
Rutte also announced the deployment of new technologies, including a small fleet of naval drones.
He emphasized that NATO will work with allies to integrate all surveillance capabilities to enhance the ability to protect critical underwater infrastructure and respond as needed.
NATO will also explore methods to safeguard infrastructure and underwater facilities.
Rutte noted that Finland has already demonstrated that decisive actions under the law are possible:
“Ship captains must understand that threats to our infrastructure will have consequences, including potential landings, vessel confiscation, and arrest,” he stressed.
At the end of December, Estonia had already dispatched a patrol vessel to safeguard the Estlink 1 electrical cable, which connects Estonia and Finland across the bottom of the Gulf of Finland. This was done after a ship coming from Russia once again damaged the underwater communications – the Estlink 2 cable.
The day before, Finnish authorities announced that they had detained the oil tanker Eagle S, which may be linked to the damage of Estlink 2. The tanker was en route from St. Petersburg to Egypt under the flag of the Cook Islands.
According to the Finnish side, the tanker was found without an anchor at the end of its anchor chain – suggesting that the vessel had dragged its anchor along the seabed where the cable is laid.
Previously, a gas pipeline and several power and communication lines had already been damaged in the Baltic Sea.