NATO flotilla assembles off Estonia to protect Baltic Sea infrastructure

A NATO flotilla has assembled off the coast of Estonia as part of an effort to protect critical undersea infrastructure in the Baltic Sea, including energy pipelines and data cables, amid increasing concerns over potential sabotage.

The flotilla, dubbed Baltic Sentry, includes a Dutch frigate, a naval research ship, and a German minesweeper, with additional ships expected to join the mission soon, Caliber.Az reports per foreign media.

The deployment comes after a series of incidents that have damaged strategic undersea infrastructure in the region. The most recent of these occurred on Christmas Day when the Estlink 2 power cable between Finland and Estonia, along with four data cables, was damaged by the oil tanker Eagle S, which dragged its anchor for over 60 miles along the seabed.

Finnish authorities detained the Eagle S, and investigations are ongoing. This event, along with previous incidents involving Chinese vessels, has sparked concerns over the possibility of deliberate acts of sabotage.

The flotilla's primary mission is to act as a deterrent against such activities. Commander Erik Kockx, head of a NATO mine countermeasures task force, stated, “We will in the first case function as the security cameras of the Baltic Sea, which means that nobody can undertake any actions against critical underwater infrastructure without us having seen them and being able to react in a proper way.”

The most recent damage to the Estlink 2 cable has not caused immediate power shortages, as supplies have been redirected. However, repairs are expected to take months, leaving the region’s energy supply vulnerable in the interim. The breach comes at a sensitive time, as the Baltic states are preparing to decouple their power networks from Russia and integrate them with the European grid by February 8.

NATO's heightened security measures underscore the growing tensions in the Baltic, where the protection of undersea infrastructure has become a top priority. Commodore Arjen Warnaar, head of the NATO marine group, expressed confidence that the damage to the Estlink 2 was not accidental. “That is something that is still being evaluated and we’re always keeping that possibility in mind,” Warnaar said.

The Baltic Sentry operation represents a significant commitment by NATO to safeguard the region's strategic infrastructure, with the alliance leveraging advanced intelligence and surveillance tools to monitor shipping activity in the area. "Any ship that is leaving St Petersburg will know that it is being followed," Commander Kockx remarked, signaling NATO’s readiness to respond to any potential threats to the region's critical infrastructure.

By Vafa Guliyeva