The military alliance has pledged to enhance its naval presence along the coasts of northern Europe after a number of undersea cables were allegedly sabotaged in recent months. 

Other countries, including Sweden and Estonia, have also announced they are sending ships to patrol the area.  

Regional leaders are gathering on Tuesday in the Finnish capital, Helsinki, to discuss the protection of key infrastructure in the wake of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, which is approaching its third year. 

Damage caused to energy and communication lines in the Baltic has been linked to Russia’s so-called shadow fleet, a flotilla of old tankers reportedly used to secretly transport Russian oil and gas in defiance of international sanctions. 

Last month, Finnish police seized a ship suspected of causing damage to the Estlink 2 power line and a number of telecom cables linking Finland and Estonia.  

Authorities suspect that the Eagle S, a tanker registered in the Cook Islands that was carrying Russian oil, may have sabotaged the undersea infrastructure by dragging its anchor along the seabed. 

Ahead of Tuesday’s conference, Latvia’s president told Reuters that an increased naval presence by NATO would send a strong message, even if monitoring the Baltic Sea, which is traversed by 2,000 ships every day, is difficult. 

“Let's face it, we can't ensure 100% protection but if we are sending a bold signal, then I think that such incidents are going to decrease or even to stop,” President Edgars Rinkēvičs said.