NATO bolsters Baltic defenses with 10 ships amid cable threats
NATO plans to strengthen its military presence in the Baltic Sea by deploying ships to protect underwater infrastructure in the region, according to a report by Finnish public broadcaster Yle. The operation is set to begin by the end of the week.
Yle reports that approximately 10 NATO ships will arrive in the Baltic Sea and remain in the region until April.
Estonian and Finnish ships will continue to patrol the Gulf of Finland primarily, while vessels from other NATO member countries will also join operations in the Baltic.
The ships will be positioned near underwater cables, which are intended to act as a deterrent and reduce the risk of further sabotage.
Damaged cables in the Baltic
On December 30, NATO decided to augment its military presence in the Baltic Sea to safeguard infrastructure after recent damage to underwater cables between Estonia and Finland.
The Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF), which includes ten NATO member countries, announced on Monday in a joint statement that they will employ artificial intelligence (AI) to monitor ship movements near key infrastructure in the Baltic Sea.
Finnish authorities suspect that the Eagle S, a tanker registered in the Cook Islands, dragged its anchor along the seabed on Christmas Day, severing the EstLink 2 power cable between Finland and Estonia. The ship may also have damaged four other data cables.
Eagle S is considered a significant part of the so-called "shadow fleet," which Russia reportedly uses to circumvent Western sanctions imposed due to its military aggression against Ukraine.
