BRUSSELS (AP) – NATO is launching a new mission to protect undersea cables in the Baltic Sea region. series of incidents There are growing concerns about Russian sabotage and espionage in this strategic region, alliance leaders said on Tuesday.
Secretary-General Mark Rutte said the mission, dubbed “Baltic Sentry,” would include frigates, maritime patrol aircraft and a fleet of naval drones to provide “enhanced surveillance and deterrence.”
“The Alliance as a whole is working to undermine society through sabotage, including cyber-attacks, assassination attempts and possible sabotage of submarine cables in the Baltic Sea,” Prime Minister Rutte told reporters after a meeting with Baltic Alliance leaders in Helsinki. “We have identified elements of a destabilizing operation.” countries.
Announcing the new operation, Rutte said more than 95% of internet traffic is protected by submarine cables, with 1.3 million kilometers (808,000 miles) of cables securing an estimated $10 trillion worth of financial transactions every day. he pointed out.
Even as Prime Minister Rutte was meeting with Baltic leaders in Helsinki, Polish state broadcaster TVP World reported that a Russian ship had sailed. “Fleet of Shadow” It was spotted circling a natural gas pipeline that runs from Norway to Poland. However, the Polish military later stated that “the described incident did not occur.”
NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte addresses the media at a press conference as part of the Baltic Sea NATO Summit in Helsinki, Finland, Tuesday, January 14, 2025. (Antti Aimo-Koivisto/Leftikva via Associated Press)
This shadowy fleet, made up of hundreds of aging tankers with unclear ownership and security measures, continues to evade sanctions and funnel oil revenues to Moscow, causing concern for European countries. are.
Rutte said NATO’s adversaries should know that the alliance will not accept attacks on its critical infrastructure. We will do our best to confirm this and then proceed with the next attack.” We will take steps to prevent it from happening again. ”
The meeting was attended by leaders from Finland, Germany, Poland, Denmark, Sweden, Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia.
“We reserve the right, in accordance with international law, to take action against vessels suspected of evading sanctions and threatening our security, infrastructure and environment,” the Baltic allies warned in a statement.
They stated that “Russia’s use of the so-called shadow fleet poses a particular threat to maritime and environmental security.” They said “this reprehensible act” not only threatens undersea infrastructure but also “significantly assists Russia in financing its illegal war of aggression against Ukraine.”
In response, the leaders pledged to “start implementing innovative solutions and develop new technologies to monitor and track suspicious vessels and monitor the seabed.”
An Estonian naval vessel sails through the Baltic Sea on Thursday, January 9, 2025, as part of increased NATO patrols in the region following suspected sabotage of submarine cables. (AP Photo/Hendrik Osla)
The two leaders also pledged to explore new legal avenues to combat this challenge and strengthen information sharing, including efforts to “engage with the private sector, particularly infrastructure providers and cutting-edge technology companies. This includes strengthening partnerships.”
Numerous incidents have occurred, further heightening security concerns. On December 26, Finnish police and border guards boarded the Eagle S, a ship with ties to neighboring Russia, to investigate whether it had been damaged. baltic power cable And some data cables.
In separate remarks to reporters in Helsinki, Chancellor Olaf Scholz said Germany would take part in a Baltic patrol mission. Asked if that meant Germany would provide ships and reconnaissance planes, or if he had made any concrete proposals, he replied: As far as the specific possibilities of implementation are concerned, that will change. ”
Sweden also announced On Sunday, it announced plans to contribute up to three warships to increase the alliance’s presence in the Baltic Sea to prevent sabotage of undersea infrastructure.
Asked for details about the operation, Rutte declined to provide ship numbers, saying the numbers could change from week to week and that “we are not trying to make the enemy any smarter than before.” .
“We will take advantage of all the possibilities we have as an alliance,” Rutte said.
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Gera reported from Warsaw, Poland. Geir Moulson in Berlin contributed reporting.
