NATO is considering additional security measures in the Baltic Sea following recent incidents that have damaged underwater infrastructure in the region. After consulting with member states on Monday, the alliance announced that one of the proposed measures is mobilizing the Maritime Centre for Security of Critical Undersea Infrastructure, established in May, to address potential threats.
The consultation at NATO headquarters included discussions about the damage to undersea cables between Estonia and Finland on Dec. 25, which Finnish authorities are investigating as a possible case of sabotage. According to a Reuters report, this incident involved an undersea power cable and four internet cables. In response, Estonia launched a naval operation to protect a parallel electricity cable, while Finland seized a Russian oil tanker suspected of causing the power cable outage and disruption of the fiber optic line.
In November, Lithuania and Sweden also investigated damage to an undersea telecommunications cable between their countries, an incident that Lithuanian Minister of National Defence Laurynas Kasciunas believes may have been intentional.
The additional security measures align with the military alliance’s goal of improving its defense against threats to critical undersea infrastructure.
In early December, NATO said it is developing a fleet of unmanned surface vessels to ensure the safety of critical undersea infrastructure in the Baltic and Mediterranean seas.
At a recent gathering in Brussels, Jean-Charles Ellermann-Kingombe, assistant secretary general for innovation, hybrid and cyber at NATO, said sensing and monitoring technology will help build capability.
“This is not a new problem set for NATO, but it is one that requires even closer cooperation between civilian and military actors in the face of intensifying hostile campaigns, including by Russia,” he added.