Experts: More patrols needed in Baltic Sea

Security experts said more patrols are needed in the Baltic Sea after another cable was reportedly damaged on Sunday between Latvia and Sweden.
On Sunday, Sweden detained the Bulgarian ship Vezhen, that sails under a Maltese flag, after an undersea cable running between Latvia and Gotland was broken in Swedish waters.
Swedish prosecutors have launched a preliminary investigation on suspicion of sabotage.
Over the last 18 months several cables have been damaged in the Baltic Sea and it is suspected that ships dragging their anchors are the cause. NATO launched a monitoring operation earlier this month after the EstLink 2 electricity cable was damaged on December 25.
Security expert Raivo Vare said incidents such as these cannot always be legally proven beyond doubt, but this does not mean reality should be ignored.
"What happened? He tripped three times onto my fist and then four more times onto a knife with his kidney – it's the same story. No perpetrators. If we cannot identify the culprits, we must still ensure safe navigation and take measures to prevent being cut off from the world. More decisive measures must be taken," Vare told Monday's "Aktuaalne kaamera."

Former Swedish military officer Joakim Paasikivi compared hybrid warfare to ordinary crime: it cannot be entirely eradicated.
However, increased patrols and NATO missions have an impact, as do sanctions, environmental regulations, and licensing controls.
Vare agreed that increased patrols are necessary and suggested amending maritime law as quickly as possible.
However, he pointed out that there are insufficient resources for comprehensive monitoring of Baltic Sea cables. As a result, he proposed occasional asymmetric responses.
"For example, closing the Danish Straits for a period to such vessels. Basically, no ship moves — end of story. After a while, others will start worrying. Organizers will hold back, and shipowners will begin to reconsider," Vare said.
He also referred to Finland's decisive action last month, when a tanker that damaged the Estlink 2 cable was detained. He suggested that this likely emboldened the Swedes to act.
It is not out of the question that Russian actors were testing whether Sweden would respond similarly, Vare told the show.
"There was a storm in several areas — it could have been attempted in Finnish waters, but for some reason, it was done in Swedish waters," he said.
Paasikivi added: "If the Russians see that Sweden, Finland, previously to some extent Denmark, and the Baltic states' navies are doing more in the NATO context, then this activity will become unprofitable, dangerous, or at least seen as significantly escalating."
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Editor: Mari Peegel, Helen Wright
Source: Aktuaalne kaamera