Sweden will deploy forces to the Baltic Sea for the first time to join NATO in strengthening monitoring amid suspicious underwater cable breaks in the region.
The Swedish government announced on January 12th that it would send three warships and an ASC 890 airborne early warning and control aircraft to the Baltic Sea to participate in NATO's efforts to strengthen its presence and prevent sabotage of underwater cables.
The Swedish coast guard also deployed four vessels to monitor the situation, and seven more are on standby, according to AP.
The Swedish frigate HMS Visby on a patrol mission.
Sweden officially became a NATO member in March 2024, shortly after its neighbor Finland joined the alliance. The Swedish government stated that this was the first time the country had deployed its armed forces to participate in NATO's defense and deterrence mission as a member of the alliance.
The new mission comes after a series of incidents in the Baltic Sea that have heightened concerns about sabotage of infrastructure. Specifically, submarine cables and pipelines connecting Nordic, Baltic, and Central European countries have been repeatedly damaged, affecting trade, energy security, and communications.
NATO conducts exercises to protect the Baltic Sea after serious cable outage.
Since 2023, 10 cable lines in the Baltic Sea have been damaged, affecting countries such as Estonia, Finland, Sweden, Germany, and Lithuania. At least two incidents involved ships allegedly deliberately anchoring and dragging cables to cut them.
Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson stated at an annual security conference on January 12th that his country is neither at war nor at peace , according to The Guardian . Kristersson did not rule out the possibility of deliberate hostile actions related to the recent underwater cable disruptions in the Baltic Sea.
"Sweden is not quick to conclude or accuse anyone of sabotage without very solid grounds. But we are not naive either. The security situation and the fact that strange things keep happening in the Baltic Sea lead us to believe that hostile intentions cannot be ruled out," Prime Minister Kristersson said.
Source: https://thanhnien.vn/thuy-dien-tang-cuong-suc-manh-cho-nato-sau-cac-vu-dut-cap-bien-baltic-185250113071452974.htm
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