
NATO launched an investigation into the suspected sabotage of a Baltic Sea data cable near three Russian ships. The attack, part of a broader pattern of incidents, has led to NATO’s Baltic Sentry mission to protect key infrastructure. Bojan Pancevski of The Wall Street Journal reports rising tensions as the investigation continues. Pancevski writes:
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization mounted its first coordinated response to the suspected sabotage campaign against critical infrastructure, after another underwater data cable was severed in the Baltic Sea.
NATO vessels raced to the site of a damaged fiber-optic cable in Swedish waters on Sunday morning, where a trio of ships carrying Russian cargo, including one recently sanctioned by the U.S., were nearby. All three vessels are now being investigated as part of a probe into suspected sabotage of the fiber optic cable, according to several European officials. One ship was detained Sunday.
The incident is the latest in a string of alleged underwater attacks in the region that prompted NATO to announce earlier this month the formation of a surveillance mission called Baltic Sentry. It includes regular naval patrols, as well as enhanced drone, satellite and electronic surveillance of Baltic areas that are crisscrossed by critical infrastructure such as data and power cables, along with gas pipelines and offshore wind farms. […]
Western officials have said they suspect Russia is fighting a shadow war against the West. Russia has denied it is behind such an effort. […]
In a midnight raid, Finnish special forces dropped from a helicopter onto the deck of Eagle S and captured the ship and its crew, which have since been detained in a Finnish port.
In November, an investigation was launched against a Chinese bulk carrier called Yi Peng 3, which cut two data cables in the Baltic after dragging its anchor for several hours, according to investigators. The vessel was loaded with Russian fertilizer. The probe continues.
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Also read, Underwater Emergency Service Keeping the Internet Running, Undersea Cables Are Mysteriously Vanishing, Under the Surface: Russia’s Silent War on NATO’s Undersea Lifelines, A War Beneath the Waves – Trillions of Dollars at Stake, and New Tech is Changing Undersea Warfare – A Battle Beneath the Waves