NATO to boost presence in Baltic Sea after cable outages
NATO will strengthen its presence in the Baltic Sea following the outage of the Estlink 2 submarine power cable, Secretary General Mark Rutte said on Friday after speaking to Finnish President Alexander Stubb.
“I expressed my full solidarity and support,” the head of the 32-country military alliance wrote on X after their talks.
Earlier, Estonian Defence Minister Hanno Pevkur said his country would secure the Estlink 1 power line with patrol ships following disruptions to cables in the Baltic Sea in recent days.
The Swedish coastguard also issued a statement on Friday saying it has ramped up its monitoring of shipping traffic, using ships and aircraft, among other measures, to carefully track activity in the region.
NATO is assisting Finland and Estonia in their investigations into possible sabotage, a spokesman for the alliance separately told dpa.
No further details were initially given. Stubb said his country and Estonia had jointly asked NATO to enhance its presence in response to the situation.
Electricity transmission through Estlink 2 between the two neighbouring states was interrupted on Wednesday.
Suspecting sabotage, Finnish authorities detained the Cook Islands- flagged oil tanker Eagle S, the anchor of which could have been used to cause damage to the cable.
According to the European Union, the vessel is part of the so-called Russian shadow fleet: tankers and other cargo ships that Russia uses to circumvent sanctions on oil transport, for example.
Network operators initially estimated that repairs to the 170-kilometre-long cable could take several months. However, Estonian and Finnish authorities do not anticipate any major impact on consumers.
Other disruptions to communication cables in the Baltic Sea were also recently reported. According to Finnish broadcaster Yle, three of them run between Finland and Estonia and one between Finland and Germany. Investigations into the incidents are ongoing.
Meanwhile, Finnish investigators are planning to examine the seabed. Crew members of the Eagle S are also being questioned and material has been collected on board the ship, the police said. Customs also confiscated the ship’s fuel cargo.
Stubb said that they did not want to jump to conclusions. But if it could be clearly proven that it was sabotage and that a state actor was behind it, it would definitely be investigated, he added.
Estonia’s Pevkur also said the sides would await the outcome of the investigations into the damages.
“But our task is to immediately send a clear message that we are prepared to protect the connections between Estonia and Finland, even by military means if necessary,” Pevkur said in a ministry statement.
“We’ve decided to send our navy close to Estlink 1 to defend and secure our energy connection with Finland,” he wrote separately on X on Friday.
The move was agreed with Estonian armed forces chief Andrus Merilo and would ensure that the link will remain undamaged and operational, Pevkur said on Estonian radio.
There is heightened vigilance against possible sabotage in several countries on the Baltic Sea following the recent failures and disruptions of power cables, gas pipelines and telecommunications links.
