The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) has decided to strengthen its presence in the Baltic Sea to protect infrastructure following the recent damage to underwater cables connecting Estonia and Finland, according to the NATO website.
In a statement, the Alliance noted that members discussed the security of critical infrastructure in the Baltic Sea during a meeting on December 30 at NATO headquarters after the underwater cables between the two countries were damaged on December 25.
"The damage to the cables, which is being investigated by Finnish authorities, is one of several recent incidents in the Baltic Sea that are being viewed as possible sabotage," the Alliance stated.
The allied countries expressed "full solidarity" with Estonia and Finland regarding the recent incident at sea.
"In order to maintain vigilance, enhance situational awareness, and prevent future incidents, NATO is increasing its military presence in the Baltic Sea," the statement from the Alliance said.
Furthermore, it was indicated that NATO members are also considering "other measures" to address potential threats to critical underwater infrastructure. Specifically, with the support of the NATO Maritime Center of Excellence for Critical Underwater Infrastructure, established in May, the Alliance added.
Source: https://www.nato.int/cps/en/natohq/news_231800.htm?selectedLocale=en