NATO has unveiled a new mission, codenamed Baltic Sentry, to enhance surveillance and protect critical undersea infrastructure in the Baltic Sea following a series of damaging incidents to undersea cables over the past year.
The announcement was made by NATO chief Mark Rutte during a high-level summit in Helsinki, attended by all NATO countries bordering the Baltic Sea, including Finland, Estonia, Denmark, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, and Sweden.
The initiative will see an increased deployment of patrol aircraft, warships, and drones in the region. While NATO has stopped short of directly accusing Russia of the cable damages, Rutte confirmed that the alliance will intensify monitoring of Russia’s so-called “shadow fleet” — vessels without clear ownership used to transport embargoed oil products.
“There is reason for grave concern over infrastructure damage,” Rutte stated during the summit. He emphasized the importance of undersea infrastructure, noting that more than 95% of global internet traffic relies on undersea cables, which also facilitate daily financial transactions worth an estimated $10 trillion.
Rutte warned that NATO would respond robustly to any future incidents, including boarding and potentially seizing suspect vessels. He declined to provide specific details on the scale of the Baltic Sentry mission, citing operational security and the need to avoid making “the enemy any wiser than he or she is already.”
The Baltic Sea has seen an increase in unexplained damage to undersea infrastructure in recent months, with the most recent case occurring in late December. An electricity cable connecting Finland and Estonia was severed, prompting swift action by both nations. Finnish coast guard forces intercepted the oil tanker *Eagle S*, registered under the Cook Islands flag, after it reportedly threatened additional infrastructure, including a second power cable and a gas pipeline. Estonia deployed a patrol ship to safeguard its critical undersea assets.
Risto Lohi, a senior investigator with Finland’s National Bureau of Investigation, revealed that the *Eagle S* was suspected of posing further threats to undersea facilities when it was seized. Estonia’s Foreign Minister, Margus Tsahkna, expressed skepticism about the incidents being accidental, stating that damage to submarine infrastructure had become “so frequent” that it raised questions about hostile intent.
Sweden’s Prime Minister, Ulf Kristersson, shared similar concerns, cautioning against jumping to conclusions but also urging vigilance. “The security situation and the fact that strange things happen time and time again in the Baltic Sea lead us to believe that hostile intent cannot be ruled out,” he said, while emphasizing the need for strong evidence before attributing blame.
Estonia and Finland echoed these sentiments, highlighting the strategic vulnerability of the Baltic region’s undersea assets and the potential ramifications for energy and communications security.
In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Rutte reaffirmed NATO’s commitment to safeguarding critical infrastructure and deterring potential threats. “We will do what it takes to ensure the safety and security of our critical infrastructure and all that we hold dear,” he wrote.
As tensions between NATO countries and Russia continue to mount following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the Baltic Sentry mission underscores the alliance’s resolve to counter emerging threats in one of Europe’s most strategically significant waterways.
The initiative signals a clear warning that NATO views the protection of its infrastructure as an essential component of regional security.
Chioma Kalu
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