NATO strengthens Baltic Sea defences after infrastructure threats
NATO is dispatching approximately 10 ships to safeguard underwater infrastructure in the Baltic Sea. The initial ships are expected to arrive by the end of the week, and the operation is expected to continue until April.
Finnish radio Yle, the first to report on NATO's initiative, states that the operation will involve allied units on rotational missions and extra ships sent by NATO countries.
The decision to augment 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 appealed to the Alliance for support in the region.
Cooperation within the JEF
The countries of the JEF group (Joint Expeditionary Force) of Northern European nations, led by the United Kingdom, have announced an increase in surveillance measures. "The goal is to secure critical infrastructure, such as electrical, gas, and telecommunications connections, as well as more accurately track shadow fleets," stated the Ministry of National Defence of Finland. The JEF operation will use an artificial intelligence-based monitoring model.
Defence Minister Antti Hakkanen highlighted that cooperation allows for better identification of suspicious vessels before they approach Finland. "The naval forces' ability to track vessel movements and the overall situation is at a good level," he added.
Investigation into the damage
The recent damage to the underwater cables in the Gulf of Finland is suspected to involve the tanker Eagle S, sailing under the flag of the Cook Islands. The vessel, measuring approximately 220 metres long, was travelling from St. Petersburg to Port Said, Egypt, with 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 distance of several tens of kilometres. The investigation into the act of vandalism and communication disruptions is ongoing.
