NATO has officially launched a new mission named Baltic Sentry, aimed at safeguarding critical undersea cables in the Baltic Sea region. This initiative was announced by NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte during a meeting with leaders from NATO countries bordering the Baltic Sea, held in Helsinki on January 14, 2025.

The mission focuses on enhancing surveillance and deterrence against potential threats to undersea infrastructure, particularly amid rising concerns over sabotage and destabilizing activities in the region.

Baltic Sentry will deploy a variety of military assets, including:

Frigates
Maritime patrol aircraft
A fleet of naval drones for improved monitoring capabilities

The announcement follows a series of incidents that have raised alarms about possible Russian activities, including damage to undersea cables and pipelines since the onset of the Ukraine conflict in February 2022. Notable incidents include:

Damage to telecommunications cables linking Sweden and Denmark.

Recent detainment of a tanker related to subsea cable damage on Christmas Day.

Rutte emphasized that undersea cables are vital for global communications and economic transactions, with over 95% of internet traffic relying on them. He noted that these cables facilitate approximately $10 trillion in financial transactions daily.

The mission signals NATO's commitment to collective defense and resilience against hybrid warfare tactics, which may include cyberattacks and sabotage. Rutte warned that threats to critical infrastructure would be met with firm responses, including potential boarding and confiscation of suspicious vessels.

ANI