NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said Friday that the military alliance will step up patrols in the Baltic Sea region as Finnish investigators work to determine whether a ship linked to Russia sabotaged undersea cables there this week.
Finnish authorities took control of the Eagle S ship on Thursday, trying to determine whether it had damaged a power cable connecting Finland and Estonia and several data cables. It was the latest in a series of incidents involving disruption of key infrastructure in the region.
In a post on social media platform X, Rutte said he had spoken to Finnish President Alexander Stubb “about the ongoing Finnish-led investigation into possible sabotage of undersea cables.” Rutte said NATO would “strengthen its military presence in the Baltic Sea.”
Finnish police have seized a ship carrying Russian oil after cutting an underwater power cable connecting Finland with Estonia. Many cables have been cut in the Baltic Sea over the past two years, and the authorities have not ruled out sabotage by Russia or China.
Officials say the tanker is part of Russia's shadow fleet
Asked for details on what might be done and when, NATO headquarters said only that the 32-nation alliance “remains vigilant and is working to provide further support, including by increasing our military presence” in the region.
Finland, which shares a 1,340 km border with Russia, joined NATO in 2023, abandoning its decades-old policy of neutrality.
In October 2023, in response to similar incidents, NATO and its allies deployed more maritime patrol aircraft, long-range radar aircraft and surveillance and reconnaissance drones to the region, as well as a fleet of minehunters to the region.
Eagle S flies the flag of the Cook Islands, but has been described by Finnish customs and European Union officials as belonging to the island Russia's shadow tanker fleet transports oil and gas in violation of international sanctions imposed in connection with the war with Ukraine.
Aging ships, often with unclear ownership, routinely operate without Western insurance. Russia's use of the ships has raised environmental concerns about accidents, given their age and uncertain insurance coverage.
The Eagle S anchor is suspected of causing damage to the cable, Finnish state broadcaster Yle reported, based on police statements. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov was asked about the confiscation on Friday but declined to comment.
After a high-level meeting about the incident, Stubb wrote on X that “the situation is under control. We have no reason to worry,” while emphasizing that the investigation is ongoing. He said Finland and Estonia have asked NATO for additional help.
He said the new measures could include “inspections of ship insurance certificates” in the region. Stubb said they are also “looking at ways, based on international maritime law, to respond more effectively to similar events in the future.”
Cable damage had little impact on services
The Estlink-2 power cable, which transmits electricity from Finland to Estonia across the Baltic Sea, failed on Wednesday but had little impact on services.
The incident occurred after two data cables and the Nord Stream gas pipeline were damaged, which was called sabotage.
These data cables – one running between Finland and Germany and the other between Lithuania and Sweden – were severed in November.
Germany's defense minister said the likely cause was “sabotage” but did not provide evidence or say who might have been responsible.
Finland officially joined NATO in one of the most important moments in the alliance's recent history. Andrew Chang discusses what this move means for Russia, which has called NATO one of the country's most serious external threats.
The Nord Stream pipelines, which once transported natural gas from Russia to Germany, were damaged by underwater explosions in September 2022
Authorities said the cause was sabotage and launched an investigation.
NATO has already increased patrols near undersea infrastructure following the Nord Stream pipeline strike. Last year, it also established a coordination cell to deepen links between governments, armed forces and defense industries to better protect undersea installations.