NATO to launch new infrastructure monitoring mission in Baltic Sea

NATO will launch a new military monitoring mission in the Baltic Sea to increase the protection of undersea infrastructure, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said on Tuesday (January 14) in Helsinki.
"Baltic Sentry" will enhance NATO's military presence and improve allies' ability to respond to destabilizing acts and continue for an "undisclosed amount of time", a statement said.
The mission will including sending frigates and maritime patrol aircraft to the region.
Rutte also announced the deployment of new technologies, including a small fleet of naval drones.
He stressed that NATO will work with allies to integrate national surveillance assets to improve the ability to protect critical undersea infrastructure and respond if required.

NATO will work within the Critical Undersea Infrastructure Network, which includes industry, to explore further ways to protect infrastructure and improve resilience of underwater assets.
Rutte made the announcement at the first Baltic Sea NATO members summit jointly hosted by Finland and Estonia in Helsinki.
The meeting was held in response to the breaking of electricity and data cables between the two countries in the Baltic Sea on December 25. The authorities suspect the infrastructure was damaged deliberately.
This was the latest in a series of similar events over the last 18 months.
The secretary general said recent sabotage had damaged energy and communication cables, but he was confident that, "by working together with all allies – we will do what it takes to ensure the safety and security not only of our critical infrastructure but of all that we hold dear."
You can watch the press conference again below.
Michal: More broken cables likely
Prime Minister Kristen Michal (Reform) said countries need to know how to repair damaged infrastructure in the future as more damage is likely to occur.
Estonia and Finland already have an agreement in place on what to do, but this should be extended to other allies in the region, he said.
"How to deal with different infrastructure breaking because things will happen. If they have happened once, they usually happen twice, after that the third time and [there] probably will be a fourth and fifth [time] – it is most probable," Michal said.
All allies need a "concrete basis" for repairs and burden sharing and knowing how to fix energy and communications cables increases societal resilience and security, the prime minister told a press conference after the summit.
He also welcomed the "Baltic Sentry" mission and said he was "grateful" for all the allies who plan to contribute.

Michal also discussed the shadow fleet and pointed out Estonia has checked insurance documents of "more than 300" vessels since last summer.
He said 260 presented their paperwork, 62 did not and the authorities boarded seven ships. "And it will continue," he said, adding the Finns are also carrying out the same work.
The prime minister called the shadow fleet vessels an environmental ticking time bomb and a way to fund Russia's war in Ukraine.
"We should deal with every possibility that the law allows us and /.../ we need better rules to act more automatically," he told the media.
Russia uses dozens of aging vessels to transport oil and gas and evade sanctions. The ships often lack insurance and have many defects.

Leaders sign joint statement on responding to shadow fleet
Leaders also issued a joint statement outlining measures to protect critical infrastructure and respond more effectively to the threat posed by the Russian shadow fleet.
NATO plans to deploy new technologies that will allow closer monitoring and surveillance of infrastructure and vessels suspected of being part of the shadow fleet. Cooperation will be carried out also with private companies.
"The measures now decided will strengthen deterrence in the Baltic Sea and raise the threshold for damaging infrastructure. Sabotage of critical underwater infrastructure must be considered as a form of hybrid influence", President of Finland Alexander Stubb said.
The countries will increase surveillance of vessels suspected of being part of the shadow fleet. They will also continue with the previously initiated inspections of ships' insurance certificates to cover potential oil spills.
The meeting was also attended by Prime Minister of Denmark Mette Frederiksen, Federal Chancellor of Germany Olaf Scholz, President of Latvia Edgars Rinkevičs, President of Lithuania Gitanas Nauseda, Prime Minister of Poland Donald Tusk, Prime Minister of Sweden Ulf Kristersson, Executive Vice-President of the European Commission Henna Virkkunen and Minister of Defence of Finland Antti Häkkänen.
This article was updated to add additional comments from Prime Minister Kristen Michal.
--
Follow ERR News on Facebook and Twitter and never miss an update!
Editor: Helen Wright