Several NATO countries are discussing strengthening security in the Baltic Sea region today. The reason has been a series of acts, suspected of being acts of sabotage on undersea cables, such as the recent one by the ship "Eagle S".
The incidents are suspected to be part of a hybrid strategy, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said before the start of the conference in the Finnish capital Helsinki. The incidents pose a threat to European countries, he said. Scholz called on coastal countries to consult together and act quickly in the Baltic Sea region. "We need to exchange information between states and private infrastructure operators," the German chancellor said.
In recent months, several data and power cables have been cut in the Baltic Sea. These are suspected to be acts of sabotage ordered by Russia.
The conference will also focus on the "ghost fleet" with which Moscow wants to circumvent the oil embargo. A ghost fleet is understood to be ships that are used illegally to circumvent sanctions. Their use allows them to bypass safety or environmental regulations, avoid insurance costs and also enable them to engage in other illegal activities.
Russia's "ghost fleet"
Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen has expressed concern about Russia's "ghost fleet." She said it could be an opportunity for the Kremlin to continue the war in Europe. Latvian President Edgars Rinkēvičs stressed that it is necessary to prepare for further events. Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson has warned that the Baltic Sea must not be allowed to become a danger zone.
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte announced yesterday in Brussels that further measures will be taken to protect critical infrastructure in Helsinki: "We want to strengthen NATO's military presence in the Baltic Sea. And we will talk about the 'ghost fleet'. No country should be able to exploit us, threaten our infrastructure or harm our societies."
"Defects must be reported immediately"
Several ships will be used for this purpose, this has already been announced in advance. But this is not enough, according to hybrid attacks expert Jukka Savolainen from the European Center of Competence for Defense against Hybrid Threats Hybrid COE.
Operators of infrastructure such as gas pipelines or cables should immediately report defects, preferably to a NATO critical infrastructure monitoring center. The latter should collect data from various intelligence services and identify suspicious vessels. (A2 Televizion)
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