NATO Warships Patrolling Baltic Sea

The Baltic Sea will have 10 nato ships patrolling its waters by the end of the week to protect Europe’s underwater cables, Finnish broadcaster Yle reported on Tuesday. They will be stationed there until April.

Additionally, the United Kingdom will lead an artificial intelligence surveillance operation to track suspicious activity in the region.

Why? Europe is responding to an incident on Dec. 25, 2024, that left four telecom lines damaged along with severed sea cables connecting Finland and Estonia.

Finnish authorities believe a Russian spy ship was responsible.

Recent attacks: The past two years have seen an uptick in damage to underwater cables and pipelines.

• Sept. 26, 2022: Nord Stream i and ii were both damaged by blasts.
• Oct. 8, 2023: The Balticconnector (joining Finland and Estonia) was severed by a Chinese vessel dragging its anchor.
• Nov. 17, 2024: A cable was severed connecting Lithuania and Gotland Island (owned by Sweden).
• Nov. 18, 2024: A cable was severed connecting Helsinki, Finland to Rostock, Germany.

German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock told Funke media group on Saturday:

Almost every month, ships damage major undersea cables in the Baltic Sea. It is extremely difficult to believe in coincidences. This is an urgent wake-up call for everyone.

nato Secretary General Mark Rutte posted on X, “nato will enhance its military presence in the Baltic Sea.”

What this means: These attacks on sea cables are causing major disruptions in Europe’s economy. The more Russia and China target Europe, the more European states will draw closer together to deal with the common threat.

Learn more: Read “The Crimean Crisis Is Reshaping Europe!”