Finnish special forces conduct vessel seizure drill in Baltic Sea

Finnish special forces have conducted an exercise simulating the seizure of a vessel in the Baltic Sea, with officers practising a helicopter assault, the takeover of a ship’s bridge and the detention of people on board, Yle reports.

The exercise took place in waters off Helsinki and involved members of Karhu, a Finnish police tactical unit whose name means “Bear.” The officers practised landing from a helicopter onto the vessel’s deck before securing the bridge and detaining individuals aboard.

The drill was organised by the Finnish Border Guard, with Poland’s Border Guard and the French Navy also participating.

Finnish Border Guard staff officer Ilya Ilyin said exercises of this kind were necessary amid incidents involving damage to underwater cables and pipelines in the Baltic Sea.

The training comes as Baltic Sea countries have stepped up preparedness for incidents affecting critical maritime infrastructure, including subsea communications cables and energy pipelines.

By Tamilla Hasanova