Crew on board an oil tanker accused of sabotaging undersea power and communications cables in the Baltic Sea were poised to cut other cables and pipelines when Finnish authorities boarded the vessel last month,

NATO announced on Tuesday that it will beef up its patrol of the Baltic Sea in the light of past infrastructure damage to cables on the sea floor.

NATO launched a new Baltic Sea mission that will add military capabilities into the strategic waterway as concerns over suspected Russian sabotage and aggression in the area ratchet up.

The European Union’s new digital chief, Henna Virkkunen, suggested the repeated damage to undersea cables in the Baltic Sea couldn’t be fully accidental, as leaders from the region prepare to gather for a NATO summit devoted to the topic.

Finland has claimed that the oil tanker suspected of sabotaging several undersea cables in the Baltic Sea late last year was planning to sever additional cables. As part of their investigation, Scandinavian authorities seized the vessel Eagle S,

Sweden has discovered damage to another Baltic Sea cable. This time, the issue concerns the Nordbalt cable, which connects Sweden with Lithuania. According to the Swedish Minister of Defence, the destruction was caused by an anchor dragging along the sea floor.

Sweden has discovered damage to another Baltic Sea cable. This time, the issue concerns the Nordbalt cable, which connects Sweden with Lithuania. According to the Swedish Minister of Defense, the destruction was caused by an anchor dragging along the sea floor.

Finnish authorities believe that the anchor of the oil tanker Eagle S cut an electric cable between Finland and Estonia and damaged four data transmission cables on Christmas Day 2024. Read also: Putin's 'rusty tankers' threaten the Baltic Sea — German FM Baerbock Interrogations and other operational activities on board the vessel are ongoing,