NATO will strengthen its presence in the Baltic Sea after the Estlink 2 submarine power cable went out, Secretary General Mark Rutte said on Friday after speaking with Finnish President Alexander Stubb.
“I expressed my full solidarity and support,” the head of the 32-nation military alliance wrote on X after their talks.
Earlier, the Estonian Defense Minister, Hanno Pevkur, said that his country would reinforce the Estlink 1 power line with patrol vessels after a cable break in the Baltic Sea a few days ago.
The Swedish coastguard also issued a statement on Friday saying it has stepped up its monitoring of shipping traffic, using ships and aircraft, among other measures, to closely monitor activity in the area. .
NATO is supporting Finland and Estonia in their investigations into possible sabotage, a spokesman for the alliance told dpa separately.
No further details were initially given. Stubb said his country and Estonia had asked NATO to increase its presence in response to the situation.
Electricity transmission through Estlink 2 between the two neighboring states was suspended on Wednesday.
On suspicion of sabotage, the Finnish authorities arrested the Cook Islands-flagged oil tanker Eagle S, and the anchor could be used to damage the cable.
According to the European Union, the ship is part of Russia's so-called shadow fleet: tankers and other cargo vessels that Russia uses to evade sanctions on oil transport, for example.
Network operators initially thought that repairs to the 170-kilometre-long cable would take several months. However, the Estonian and Finnish authorities do not expect any major impact on consumers.
Other disruptions to communication cables in the Baltic Sea have also been reported recently. According to the Finnish broadcaster Yle, three of them run between Finland and Estonia and one between Finland and Germany. Investigations into the events are ongoing.
Meanwhile, Finnish explorers plan to explore the seabed. The crew of the Eagle S is also being questioned and items have been collected on board the vessel, the police said. Customs also moved the ship's fuel cargo.
Stubb said they didn't want to jump to conclusions. But if it was possible to clearly prove that it was sabotage and that there was a state actor behind it, it would certainly be investigated, he said.
Pevkur from Estonia also said that the parties would wait for the result of the investigation into the damage.
“But our task is to immediately send a clear message that we are ready to protect the ties between Estonia and Finland, even through military means if necessary,” Pevkur said in a ministry statement.
“We have decided to deploy our navy near Estlink 1 to protect and secure our energy link with Finland,” he wrote separately on X on Friday.
The move was approved by the head of the Estonian armed forces Andrus Merilo and would ensure that the link remains intact and functional, Pevkur said on Estonian radio.
There is increased attention against possible sabotage in several countries on the Baltic Sea after recent failures and outages in power cables, gas pipelines and telecommunications links.
