NATO has launched a new mission, Baltic Sentry, to safeguard critical undersea cables in the Baltic Sea following several incidents of sabotage. This move comes as NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte emphasized the alliance’s commitment to protecting key infrastructure during a high-level meeting in Helsinki. The summit brought together representatives from Finland, Germany, Denmark, Sweden, and the Baltic states of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania.
The mission features an enhanced naval presence, with frigates, aircraft, and even underwater drones patrolling the Baltic Sea. These drones serve both as deterrents and tools for detecting threats like the so-called “Russian shadow fleet,” vessels operating under foreign flags to circumvent sanctions.
Rutte, addressing the Helsinki summit, highlighted a concerning trend of destabilizing actions targeting NATO member states. “Within the alliance, we observe a campaign to disrupt our societies through cyberattacks, assassination attempts, and sabotage of undersea cables in the Baltic Sea,” he stated. His message was clear: NATO will not tolerate such attacks and will respond decisively to prevent further incidents.
The urgency of this mission has been underscored by recent events. Undersea data and power cables in the Baltic have been damaged multiple times, with NATO and European nations attributing the sabotage to Russia. In a particularly alarming report from Poland’s public broadcaster TVP, a ship believed to be part of the Russian shadow fleet was spotted near a gas pipeline running from Norway to Poland.
To counter these threats, NATO has significantly bolstered its military presence in the region. This build-up followed an incident where an electricity cable connecting Finland and Estonia was damaged. The Netherlands has also stepped up, with the frigate Zr. Ms. Tromp leading a fleet tasked with deterring sabotage in the North Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. The fleet is prepared to respond swiftly should saboteurs be detected, ensuring rapid intervention in the event of an attack.
While the immediate focus remains on the Baltic Sea, NATO’s vigilance extends beyond, with similar protective measures active in other critical maritime zones. As tensions continue to simmer, Baltic Sentry serves as both a warning and a reassurance—an unmistakable signal of NATO’s resolve to defend its interests and infrastructure against mounting threats.
Source:NOS
