Countries in the region have been on alert following a series of incidents involving damage to submarine cables and gas pipelines in the Baltic Sea since 2022, widely seen as acts of sabotage.
NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte says the military alliance will step up patrols in the Baltic Sea as Finnish investigators work to determine whether a Russia-linked ship sabotaged undersea cables in the region last week.
On Thursday, Finnish authorities boarded and took control of the ship, the Eagle S, which they suspect of having damaged an underwater electricity cable linking Finland and Estonia.
The Eagle S's anchor is suspected of damaging the Estlink-2 cable, Finnish public broadcaster Yle reported.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov was asked on Friday about the seizure of the ship, which was taken to Finnish waters, but declined to comment.
The Eagle S flies the flag of the Cook Islands, but has been described by Finnish customs and EU officials as part of the ghost fleet of Russian tankers carrying oil and gas in defiance of international sanctions imposed following of the war in Ukraine.
The aging ships, whose owners are often obscure, typically operate without Western-regulated insurance.
Russia's use of these vessels has sparked environmental concerns about accidents, given their age and uncertain insurance coverage.
This is the latest in a series of incidents involving the disruption of key infrastructure in the region.
In an article on X, Rutte said he had spoken to Finnish President Alexander Stubb “about Finland's ongoing investigation into possible sabotage of submarine cables.”
Rutte said that “NATO will strengthen its military presence in the Baltic Sea.”
Asked for more details on the nature of these plans, NATO headquarters only responded that the 32-nation alliance “remains vigilant and is working to provide additional support, including by strengthening our military presence” in the region.
Finland, which shares a 1,340-kilometer border with Russia, abandoned its decades-old policy of military neutrality and joined NATO in 2023 in response to Ukraine's invasion.
In October 2023, in response to similar incidents, NATO and its allies deployed more maritime patrol aircraft, long-range radar aircraft and drones on surveillance and reconnaissance flights, while a fleet minehunters were also dispatched to the region.
After a high-level meeting on the incident, Stubb posted on X that “the situation is under control.” We have no reason to worry,” adding that the investigation continues.
He said Finland and Estonia had requested additional assistance from NATO.
He said the new measures could include “inspections of ship insurance certificates” in the region.
Stubb added that “we are also exploring ways, based on international maritime law, to respond more effectively to similar incidents in the future.”
The Estlink-2 power cable, which carries electricity from Finland to Estonia under the Baltic Sea, failed on Wednesday, but it had little impact on services.
Similar incidents
Countries in the region have been on alert following a series of incidents involving submarine cables and gas pipelines in the Baltic Sea since 2022.
Two data cables – one between Finland and Germany and the other between Lithuania and Sweden – were cut in November.
Germany's defense minister said officials must have assumed it was “sabotage,” but he did not provide evidence or say who might have been responsible.
And the Nord Stream pipelines that once carried natural gas from Russia to Germany were damaged by underwater explosions in September 2022.
Authorities said the cause was sabotage and opened a criminal investigation.
NATO had already strengthened its patrols near underwater infrastructure after the impact of the Nord Stream gas pipeline.
And last year, the alliance created a coordination cell to deepen ties between governments, militaries and the defense industry and better protect undersea installations.
