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NATO Launches Mission to Protect Undersea Cables in Baltic Sea

NATO Launches Mission to Protect Undersea Cables in Baltic Sea

NATO has launched a new mission aimed at increasing surveillance of maritime activities in the Baltic Sea following incidents of damage to critical undersea cables last year.

NATO chief Mark Rutte announced the mission, named “Baltic Sentry,” during a summit in Helsinki attended by Baltic Sea NATO member countries, including Finland, Estonia, Denmark, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, and Sweden.

While Russia was not directly named as responsible for the cable damage, Rutte stated that NATO would enhance monitoring of Moscow’s “shadow fleet,” which comprises ships with ambiguous ownership carrying embargoed oil products. Tensions between NATO and Russia have escalated since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

“There is reason for grave concern” regarding the damage to infrastructure, Rutte said, promising a strong NATO response, which may include boarding or seizing suspect vessels.

He withheld details on the number of assets involved in the Baltic Sentry operation, explaining that this would likely vary and he preferred not to provide information that could aid potential adversaries.

Rutte emphasized the importance of undersea infrastructure, noting that it not only supports electricity supply but also facilitates over 95% of global internet traffic through underwater cables. He highlighted the significance of “1.3 million kilometers (800,000 miles) of cables” that are vital to an estimated $10 trillion worth of financial transactions daily.

In recent months, there have been several unexplained damages to undersea infrastructure in the Baltic. One notable incident occurred in late December when an electricity cable between Finland and Estonia was cut.

The Finnish coast guard intervened with the oil tanker Eagle S, which was reportedly threatening to damage a second undersea power cable along with a gas pipeline when it was seized. Estonia deployed a patrol ship to safeguard its undersea cable during this incident.

Estonia’s Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna remarked that the frequency of these infrastructure damages raises concerns about their nature, while Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson stated that although Sweden isn’t ready to accuse anyone of sabotage without strong evidence, they recognize the potential for hostile intent.

“The security situation and the recurrence of strange events in the Baltic Sea lead us to believe that hostile intent cannot be ruled out,” Kristersson remarked, noting the improbability of accidental damage without awareness of its potential consequences.

Credit: BBC News

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