Sweden has announced its participation in a NATO mission to safeguard undersea cables in the Baltic Sea, following concerns over recent damage to the cables. Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson confirmed the country's contribution of three warships and a surveillance aircraft during a defense conference on Sunday.
NATO has increased efforts to protect infrastructure in the region after several underwater cables were damaged, possibly due to sabotage. The operation will involve 10 ships in total, with NATO allies stepping up security measures in the area.
Kristersson did not directly accuse anyone of sabotage but emphasized that ongoing incidents in the Baltic Sea raised suspicions of hostile actions. He stressed that Sweden and its neighbors would not tolerate these actions any longer.
In December, a submarine power cable between Finland and Estonia, along with several communication cables, were damaged in the Gulf of Finland. Finnish investigators suspect that the Eagle S, an oil tanker flagged by the Cook Islands, may have been responsible. The European Union links the Eagle S to Russia's "shadow fleet," involved in circumventing sanctions, particularly by transporting oil. Other cables in the Baltic Sea were also damaged in November, raising further concerns.