After acts of sabotage

Lithuania wants to protect submarine cables with navy

According to NATO Secretary General Rutte, the mission is about "increased vigilance in the Baltic Sea region".

(Bild: APA/AP/Antti Aimo-Koivisto)

Following suspected acts of sabotage against submarine cables and power lines in the Baltic Sea, NATO is stepping up its patrols in the region. Secretary General Mark Rutte announced the "Baltic Sentry" mission on Tuesday after a summit of the Baltic Sea states in Helsinki.

It is under the command of the NATO Supreme Allied Commander for Europe, Christopher Cavoli, and, according to Rutte, includes warships, submarines, reconnaissance aircraft, satellites and drones. The mission is about "increased vigilance in the Baltic Sea region", emphasized Rutte. He did not say how many frigates would be deployed. He did not want to "make the enemy even smarter than it already is", the Dutchman emphasized.

Several data and power cables have been damaged in the Baltic Sea in recent months. NATO suspects that these were acts of sabotage directed by Russia. China has also been targeted in the meantime because of the incidents.

More decisive action against shadow fleet
The allies also agreed in Helsinki to take direct action against ships that pose a threat. "We reserve the right, in accordance with international law, to take action against all ships suspected of circumventing sanctions and endangering our security, infrastructure and the environment," they said in a joint statement.

In future, ship insurance certificates are to be checked and measures against the so-called Russian shadow fleet of old ships under international flags, which Russia uses to circumvent Western sanctions against oil exports, are to be tightened.

"We are deeply concerned about acts, whether negligent or malicious, that damage or threaten the functioning of critical undersea infrastructure," the joint statement said. "We strongly condemn acts of sabotage against critical undersea infrastructure. We will respond robustly and decisively to any attack on our infrastructure."

Indirect threat of sanctions
Russia and China, who are seen as being behind the damage to power and communication cables by ship anchors, are indirectly threatened with sanctions: accountability for the ships will be increased - "including compensation for damage", the statement said.

The background to the tensions with Russia is not only the war in Ukraine, but also the fact that the Baltic states want to finally cut the remaining connections to the Russian power grid in February.