NATO is deploying eyes in the sky and on the Baltic Sea to protect cables and pipelines that stitch together the nine countries with shores on Baltic waters

There has been a sharp rise in damage to undersea cables in the Baltic, with at least 11 incidents reported since October 2023.

The attacks come as Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania prepare to cut on February 8 their electricity links to Russia and Belarus.

VILNIUS - The impact of incidents involving damage done to cables in the Baltic Sea may tempt Russia to engage in deliberate sabotage in this area, Darius Jauniskis, director of Lithuania's State Security Department, warns.

Minister of Defense Hanno Pevkur (Reform) has floated the idea of a Baltic Sea shipping tax to fund the protection of undersea cables after a spate of breakages over the last 18 months.

NATO is deploying eyes in the sky and on the Baltic Sea to protect cables and pipelines that stitch together the nine countries with Baltic shores.

NATO on Tuesday launched operation Baltic Sentry to deter further attempts to damage critical underwater infrastructure in the Baltic Sea. Secretary General Mark Rutte announced the operation on Tuesday in a joint press conference with Finland President Alexander Stubb and Estonia Prime Minister Kristen Michal at the Baltic Sea NATO Allies Summit held in Helsinki,

The frequency and concentration of the incidents in the Baltic Sea have heightened suspicions that the damage might have been deliberate.

Moreover, thriving renewable energy industries attract foreign investments, and tax revenue, and enable the development of new technologies and services. This economic activity contributes to a more resilient and prosperous Baltic region.

Europes undersea infrastructure faces increasing disruptions, with gas pipelines, power lines, and data cables under threat. Recent damage to a critical cable between Sweden and Latvia adds to the series of incidents across the Baltic Sea.

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