Gallery: Three NATO vessels arrive in Tallinn

This week, NATO warships began patrolling in the Baltic Sea. On Friday, three NATO ships involved in the protection of underwater infrastructure arrived in Tallinn.
The total number of ships on patrol has not been publicly disclosed, though it will be changing all the time. On Friday morning, the Dutch frigate HNLS Tromp docked at Tallinn's Old Harbor (Vanasadam). Back in 2010, the ship took part in an anti-pirate operation off the coast of Africa, during which an assault team sent from the ship landed three times on pirate ships.
"However, this time the mission is different," said Dutch Commodore Arjen S. Warnaar, who is heading "Baltic Sentry," NATO's measure to enhance the security of critical infrastructure, announced by Secretary General Mark Rutte in Helsinki earlier this week.
"We are monitoring the situation, looking around not only from this ship, but also from other ships in the region, from the air and even from space, I might add. We are monitoring the situation in case something unusual happens," Commodore Warnaar said.
Two other NATO ships are based at Tallinn's "Mine Harbor" ("Miinisadam") – the German Navy's minehunter FGS Datteln and the Dutch Navy's hydrographic survey vessel HNLMS Luymes.
"We have very robust rules of engagement and I won't go into them in detail," Warnaar said.
NATO increased its presence in the Baltic Sea shortly after a vessel identified as Eagle S, suspected to be part of Russia's shadow fleet, dragged its anchor across the Gulf of Finland on Christmas Day, severing the EstLink 2 power cable between Estonia and Finland and several communication cables.
"If something should happen whereby deterrence is not enough, the command structure has been organized in such a way that we can operate effectively and efficiently," said Commander Erik Kockx, of NATO Mine Countermeasures Group 1 (SNMCMG1).
The number of ships participating in the Baltic patrol is not fixed and will change depending on the situation. Two Estonian Navy vessels are also currently on patrol.

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Editor: Marko Tooming, Michael Cole