By SOFREP,
NATO recently ramped up its defense of undersea infrastructure in the Baltic Sea, kicking off a massive 12-day naval exercise, “Freezing Winds,” involving 30 ships and 4,000 personnel.
This comes just after two communication cables were severed in the region last month, highlighting the vulnerability of the Baltic’s critical telecoms and energy lines.
While NATO is enhancing surveillance with advanced technologies and repurposed mine-hunting fleets, preventing such damage remains a challenge due to the ease with which anchors or deliberate sabotage can cause disruption.
The Baltic Sea, a strategic waterway bordering eight NATO countries and Russia, has seen repeated incidents of suspected sabotage since the Ukraine war began.
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A Chinese ship, suspected of damaging the recent cables, is under scrutiny but has not been proven guilty of deliberate sabotage.
Similar cases remain unresolved, reflecting the difficulties of attributing responsibility.
NATO is focusing on resilience, mapping weak points in infrastructure, and using advanced systems to monitor and respond to threats. Despite the challenges, the alliance aims to deter future attacks by boosting its presence and technological capabilities in the region.
