Finland to deploy naval ships to Baltic Sea to strengthen security
Illustrative photo: Finland to send warships to the Baltic (Getty Images)
The Finnish Navy will enhance its presence and surveillance in the Baltic Sea by deploying a Hamina-class missile boat, according to the Finnish Navy statement.
The deployment of Finnish ships is part of NATO’s Baltic Sentry operation, which was announced at last week’s meeting of NATO Baltic Sea leaders in Helsinki. The mission aims to ensure the security of underwater infrastructure in the Baltic Sea.
The Finnish Navy clarified that several ships will participate in the operation over the coming months. Additionally, during January-February, the Navy will deploy a Hamina-class missile boat as part of NATO’s naval component.
Incidents with cables in the Baltic Sea
Several incidents of damage to underwater cables that provide communication and energy transmission between regional countries have been recorded in the Baltic Sea recently. The most notable incidents affected trunk cables between Finland and Estonia, as well as Sweden and Lithuania. These events have raised concerns among Baltic states, as they potentially threaten national security.
Investigations into the damage revealed that in several cases, the cause involved physical interference, such as possible collisions with ships or the use of specialized equipment for intentional cable damage.
In response, Baltic states have begun strengthening security measures at their critical infrastructure facilities. These measures include increasing military and civilian patrols at sea and installing monitoring systems.
The incidents have also drawn NATO’s attention, so the alliance considers enhanced monitoring of underwater infrastructure in the region.
According to Yle, Finland prevented further sabotage by intercepting a Russian shadow tanker, which could have continued damaging underwater communications.
