The North Atlantic Alliance will increase its military presence in the Baltic Sea due to “possible sabotage of undersea cables,” NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte wrote on his X page.
“Spoke with Finnish President Alexander Stubb about the Finnish-led investigation into possible sabotage of undersea cables. Expressed full solidarity and support. NATO will enhance its military presence in the Baltic Sea,” Rutte stated.
EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas had previously attributed the Baltic Sea incidents to the tanker fleet transporting Russian oil, promising new sanctions even before investigations concluded.
On December 25, Reuters reported that Finland’s police detained an oil tanker flying the Cook Islands flag, suspecting its anchor damaged the EstLink 2 cable. On Wednesday, the underwater power cable linking Finland and Estonia experienced an emergency disconnection. Estonian companies later reported damage to three telecommunications cables connecting the two nations.
Two high-voltage submarine power cables connect Finland and Estonia. EstLink 1 was commissioned in 2007, and EstLink 2, spanning 170 kilometers (147 underwater), followed in 2014. EstLink 3 is planned for 2035. EstLink 2, which had been out of service in January, was restored in September.
