NATO-chief vows to enhance bloc's presence in Baltic Sea after suspected underwater cable sabotage

NATO is prepared to "enhance its military presence in the Baltic Sea" after an undersea power cable linking Finland and Estonia is suspected to have been tampered with this week. 

The Secretary-General of the military alliance, Mark Rutte, expressed this view on December 27 via his official X account, as Caliber.Az reports.

"Spoke with [Finnish President] Alexander Stubb about the ongoing Finnish-led investigation into possible sabotage of undersea cables. I expressed my full solidarity and support," the former Dutch PM said. 

As Caliber.Az recalls, Estonia's Defense Minister Hanno Pevkur stated that a naval operation has been launched in the early hours of December 27 to protect the EstLink 1 undersea cable, parallel to the previously damaged EstLink 2, both of which are connected to Finland. 

According to the minister's statement given during a radio interview, Pevkur noted that further developments are a military and tactical matter, and it may not even be necessary to discuss whether this involves NATO's Article 4 consultations or the conclusion of bilateral agreements. 

"For us, speed is crucial. If SACEUR and the commander of the Defense Forces reach an agreement, a solution could be, for example, the deployment of Swedish forces here. Or it could be Germany, Poland or anyone else. Through bilateral relations, we can find quicker solutions than waiting for NATO as a whole," he said. 

The EstLink 2 submarine cable was disconnected from the grid on December 25, just over a month after two telecommunications cables were severed in Swedish territorial waters in the Baltic Sea.

By Nazrin Sadigova