Nato drones to patrol Baltic for undersea sabotage

Frigates and aircraft to be deployed as part of Baltic Sentry mission

The oil tanker Eagle S is suspected of having sabotaged a Baltic power cable on Christmas Day in one of a spate of recent undersea incidents. AFP

Nato will deploy naval drones to monitor the Baltic Sea for saboteurs, it announced on Tuesday as it tries to prevent tankers linked to Russia from knocking out critical undersea cables and power lines.

Frigates and aircraft will also be deployed in a mission called Baltic Sentry to patrol the sensitive waters. Eight Baltic leaders agreed the plan at a summit in Helsinki on Tuesday after a spate of incidents affecting undersea cables.

The Nato members plan to turn to the private sector for “cutting-edge technology” to protect their key infrastructure. Russian “shadow fleet” tankers used to evade sanctions related to the war in Ukraine have been linked to the recent damage.

A team of lawyers will advise on how Baltic states can respond within maritime law. The eight countries said they reserve the right to take action against sanctions-busting vessels that “threaten our security, infrastructure and the environment”.

“Ship captains must understand that potential threats to our infrastructure will have consequences, including possible boarding, impounding and arrest,” Nato Secretary General Mark Rutte said. Germany, Finland, Sweden, Denmark, Poland, Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia took part in the talks.

The small fleet of naval drones will help provide “enhanced surveillance and deterrence” in the Baltic, Mr Rutte said. Baltic Sentry will be under the authority of Supreme Allied Commander Chris Cavoli, a US general.

German defence chiefs will meanwhile invite allies for talks on improving drone monitoring with upgraded models, Chancellor Olaf Scholz said. The talks will take place at a recently opened naval headquarters in Rostock.

The plans were agreed in Helsinki after Finland took the lead in investigating an apparent act of sabotage on Christmas Day against the Estlink 2 electricity cable. Investigators suspect the cable was damaged by the anchor of the Eagle S, a Cook Island-flagged oil tanker believed to be part of the “shadow fleet”.

Finnish police seized the Eagle S on December 28 as part of a criminal investigation. Authorities last week deemed the ship unseaworthy, barred it from sailing and have banned eight crew members from leaving the country while police investigate.

Allies will be given a step-by-step guide on the “Finnish model” for dealing with the shadow fleet, Finland's President Alexander Stubb said. Estonian Prime Minister Kristen Michal said the Finnish example “should be a benchmark” for future operations.

“If the message is sent that you will be dealt with if you harm infrastructure, that probably is the strongest possible response,” Mr Michal said. Maritime experts have told The National that catching sabotage vessels red-handed is the key because there are few options once they sail away.

Tensions have mounted around the Baltic Sea since Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. A series of underwater blasts ruptured the Nord Stream pipelines that carried Russian gas to Europe in September 2022, with the cause yet to be determined.

In October 2023, an undersea gas pipeline between Finland and Estonia was shut down after it was damaged by the anchor of a Chinese cargo ship. Two telecom cables in Swedish waters were severed on November 17 and 18 last year in another incident linked to a Chinese vessel.

Russia's shadow fleet “poses a particular threat to the maritime and environmental security in the Baltic Sea region and globally”, the countries at the Helsinki summit said. “This reprehensible practice also threatens the integrity of undersea infrastructure, increases risks connected to sea-dumped chemical munitions, and significantly supports funding of Russia’s illegal war of aggression against Ukraine.”

The Kremlin says it is absurd to “blame Russia for everything without any reason”, while China insists it “strictly fulfils its obligations under international law”.