NATO Enhances Military Presence in the Baltic Sea Following Undersea Cable Damage

In response to the recent damage to an undersea cable, NATO has announced plans to bolster its military presence in the Baltic Sea region. This decision was disclosed by NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte. The undersea power cable, Estlink 2, which connects Finland and Estonia, experienced a disruption on Christmas Day, prompting Finnish authorities to suspect potential sabotage.

President of Finland, Alexander Stubb, confirmed that both Finland and Estonia have agreed on the necessity of increased NATO presence in the area, particularly near critical infrastructure. Estonian Defense Minister Hanno Pevkur stated that, following the outage of Estlink 2, they will deploy patrol ships to monitor the operational Estlink 1 cable. Pevkur emphasized the importance of protecting the energy link with Finland.

In connection with the Estlink 2 disruption, Finnish officials detained an oil tanker named Eagle S, which sails under the flag of the Cook Islands. The European Union suspects this vessel is part of a so-called 'shadow fleet' used by Russia to circumvent sanctions, including those related to oil transportation.

Furthermore, over the holiday period, additional disturbances to communication cables in the Baltic Sea were reported. According to Finnish public broadcaster Yle, three of these cables lie between Finland and Estonia, while another connects Finland to Germany. Investigations are ongoing to uncover the causes of these outages.

The repair of the 170-kilometer Estlink 2 cable is expected to take several months, according to initial estimates from network operators. However, authorities in both Estonia and Finland have indicated that the disruptions are not anticipated to have significant impacts on consumers.

Pevkur remarked that it is crucial to thoroughly investigate the circumstances surrounding the break in the Estlink 2 cable and the communication cables. He stated that their immediate priority is to convey a strong message regarding their readiness to protect connections between Estonia and Finland, potentially utilizing military means if necessary.