NATO and European Union leaders have agreed to launch a monitoring mission in the Baltic Sea following several “serious incidents” that have damaged critical underwater infrastructure. Some of these incidents are believed to involve ships suspected of being part of Russia’s so-called “shadow fleet.”
In a meeting in Helsinki on January 14, leaders from eight Baltic Sea states, along with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, announced that additional assets will be deployed in the sea, air, land, and underwater to enhance vigilance and prevention.
“Fighting damage to underwater cables and pipelines is a global issue,” the group said in a joint statement.
“The use of Russia’s so-called shadow fleet poses a threat to maritime and environmental security in the Baltic Sea region and globally. This reprehensible practice also threatens the integrity of underwater infrastructure, increases risks related to chemical munitions dumped in the sea, and significantly supports the funding of Russia’s illegal war against Ukraine.”
At the end of December, NATO had announced an increase in its presence in the region following a suspected sabotage of cables between Finland and Estonia, reports REL.
Several telecommunications and power cables have been damaged in the Baltic Sea since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Experts and politicians have said that Russia’s “shadow fleet” ships have been involved in these incidents, although the Kremlin has denied any involvement.
The day before, Rutte told the European Parliament that such “hostile actions” would not go unpunished, promising to strengthen NATO’s military presence in the region.
