NATO bolsters Baltic Sea security after underwater attacks
NATO is deploying approximately 10 ships to protect underwater infrastructure in the Baltic Sea. The first of these ships is expected to arrive by the end of the week, and the operation will continue until April.
According to Finnish radio Yle, which first reported NATO's initiative, the operation will involve allied units on rotational missions and additional ships contributed by NATO countries.
The decision to increase the presence of NATO ships in the Baltic Sea was made following damage to the EstLink 2 power connection and four telecommunications cables in the Gulf of Finland on Christmas Day. At that time, Finland and Estonia requested support from the Alliance in the region.
Cooperation within the JEF
Countries in the JEF group (Joint Expeditionary Force) of Northern European nations, led by the United Kingdom, have announced plans to increase surveillance measures. "The goal is to secure critical infrastructure, such as electrical, gas, and telecommunications connections, as well as to more accurately track shadow fleets," stated the Ministry of National Defense of Finland. The JEF operation will utilize a monitoring model based on artificial intelligence.
Defense Minister Antti Hakkanen emphasized that such cooperation enables better identification of suspicious vessels before they approach Finland. He noted, "The naval forces' capability to track vessel movements and overall situational awareness is at a good level."
Investigation into the damage
The latest damage to the underwater cables in the Gulf of Finland is suspected to involve the tanker Eagle S, which sails under the flag of the Cook Islands. This vessel, measuring 722 feet long, was traveling from St. Petersburg to Port Said, Egypt, carrying Russian gasoline on Christmas Day. It was detained by Finnish authorities.
The vessel is currently stationed near Porvoo. Investigators suspect that the cables were damaged by the tanker's anchor dragging along the seabed over a stretch of several miles. The investigation into this act of vandalism and the resulting communication disruptions is ongoing.
