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NATO, EU to patrol Baltics over security concerns

NATO, EU to patrol Baltics over security concerns

NATO and European Union leaders have agreed to launch a monitoring mission in the Baltic Sea after several “serious incidents” that have damaged critical underwater infrastructure. Some of these incidents have involved ships suspected of being part of Russia’s so-called shadow fleet.

At a meeting in Helsinki on January 14, leaders from eight Baltic Sea states and NATO chief Mark Rutte announced that the Baltic mission would “deploy additional assets at sea, in the air, on land and under the sea to increase vigilance and deterrence.”

"Combating damage to underwater cables and pipelines is a global problem," the group said in a joint statement.

"The use of Russia's so-called shadow fleet poses a threat to maritime and environmental security in the Baltic Sea region and globally. This reprehensible practice also threatens the integrity of underwater infrastructure, increases the risks associated with chemical munitions dumped at sea, and significantly supports the financing of Russia's illegal war against Ukraine."

At the end of December last year, NATO announced that it would increase its presence in the region, following a suspected act of sabotage of cables between Finland and Estonia.

Several telecommunications and power cables have been damaged in the Baltic Sea since Russia began its invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Experts and politicians have said that ships from Russia's "shadow fleet" were involved in these incidents. The Kremlin has denied any involvement.

A day earlier, Rutte told the European Parliament that "such hostile acts" would not go unpunished, promising to strengthen NATO's military presence in the region./REL

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