NATO launches "Baltic Sentry" to safeguard critical Baltic Sea infrastructure, deploying frigates, aircraft, and drones amid rising sabotage fears linked to Russia's shadow fleet activities.
NATO countries will deploy frigates, patrol aircraft and naval drones in the Baltic Sea to help protect critical infrastructure and reserve the right to take action against ships suspected of posing a security threat, alliance members said on Tuesday.
The NATO alliance is taking the action, dubbed "Baltic Sentry", in response to a string of incidents in which power cables, telecom links and gas pipelines have been damaged in the wake of Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
Finnish police last month seized a tanker carrying Russian oil and said they suspected the vessel had damaged the Finnish-Estonian Estlink 2 power line and four telecoms cables by dragging its anchor across the seabed.
While the region is on high alert for fear of sabotage, the Polish army denied on Tuesday a local media report that said a Russian "shadow fleet" vessel was seen circling near the Baltic Pipe gas pipeline, stating that this "did not happen".
Finland's actions against the Eagle S tanker showed that vessels causing harm can be apprehended by law enforcement, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte told a press conference following an eight-nation meeting in Helsinki on Tuesday.
"Potential threats to our infrastructure will have consequences, including possible boarding, impounding and arrest," Rutte said.
NATO members are looking at targeting Russia's shadow fleet in the area with sanctions as part of efforts to protect undersea critical installations, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said following the meeting.
"We will continue to take action against the Russian shadow fleet, including with sanctions that have already been introduced and others that may follow, including against specific ships and shipping companies that also pose a threat to the environment," Scholz told reporters.
Some 2,000 ships are crossing the Baltic Sea every day, making it difficult to monitor it all, Latvian President Edgars Rinkevics said.
"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," Rinkevics told reporters.
Finland's President Alexander Stubb said further legal studies must be conducted to assess which measures can be taken against suspected rogue ships while preserving freedom of navigation rules.
China has completed the first phase of its 6G technology trials, a key step in its bid to lead the global push toward next-generation telecommunicatio...
Iran has strongly rejected as “unfounded and irresponsible” a joint statement by the foreign ministers of the Group of Seven (G7) about Tehran’s...
Pakistan has accused Afghan nationals of carrying out two suicide attacks this week in Islamabad and South Waziristan, warning that Kabul must rein in...
Chileans will vote on Sunday in the country's first mandatory presidential election since 2012, with security and immigration shaping a race expected ...
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev have spoken by phone after debris from a Russian missile strike damaged...
Germany’s coalition partners have agreed on a draft bill on Thursday (November 13) that would introduce a voluntary military service as the country seeks to bolster national defences over Russian security concerns.
Türkiye’s defence ministry says investigations are still underway and it is too early to determine what caused the military cargo plane crash in Georgia that killed 20 soldiers earlier this week.
Poland will roll out a new military training programme this month as part of a broader plan to train around 400,000 people in 2026, the Defence Ministry said on Thursday.
A NATO delegation was received by Azerbaijan's President Ilham Aliyev in the country's capital on Thursday (6 November) as well as with the deputy permanent representatives of the U.S. and France to the security alliance organisation, with talks focusing on global and regional issues.
MrBeast, the world’s most popular YouTuber, has officially launched his first theme park, Beast Land, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has urged the U.S. to avoid actions that could intensify the war in Ukraine, citing President Donald Trump’s past support for dialogue.
Audi has unveiled the car that marks its first major step into Formula One. It presented the 2026 challenger at a launch event in Munich attended by drivers, team leaders and senior company executives.
A Türkiye-registered Air Tractor AT-802F crashed in western Croatia on Thursday, killing the pilot, local authorities and media reported.
U.S. envoy Jared Kushner met Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday as attention shifts to the tougher second phase of the Gaza ceasefire plan, with a standoff over roughly 200 Hamas fighters trapped in Rafah tunnels emerging as the immediate test.
China has completed the first phase of its 6G technology trials, a key step in its bid to lead the global push toward next-generation telecommunications networks.
Iran has strongly rejected as “unfounded and irresponsible” a joint statement by the foreign ministers of the Group of Seven (G7) about Tehran’s nuclear program and its alleged support of Russia in the war with Ukraine.
Pakistan has accused Afghan nationals of carrying out two suicide attacks this week in Islamabad and South Waziristan, warning that Kabul must rein in militants even as a ceasefire between the neighbours holds but remains fragile.
Chileans will vote on Sunday in the country's first mandatory presidential election since 2012, with security and immigration shaping a race expected to move to a December run off.
Britain’s King Charles III marks his 77th birthday. Unlike his predecessors, King Charles treats his actual birthday, on 14 November, as his main moment of reflection. This year, King Charles visited Wales—a decision that coincides with the overall spirit of his first three years on the throne.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment