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Shipping firms may soon face fees to navigate the Baltic Sea, a vital shipping route, to fund the protection of undersea cables. This follows a series of suspected sabotage incidents, with NATO deploying forces to safeguard the region’s infrastructure.
Shipping companies may soon face a fee to navigate the Baltic Sea, one of the busiest shipping lanes in the world, to cover the growing costs of protecting undersea cables, as highlighted by Estonia's defence minister on Wednesday. The proposal follows a series of breaches, which have raised concerns over the security of vital power and communications infrastructure.
NATO recently announced the deployment of frigates, patrol aircraft, and drones to monitor the Baltic after several incidents where ships have caused damage to cables with their anchors, suspected to be acts of sabotage. Alongside these patrols, Defence Minister Hanno Pevkur discussed the possibility of additional measures, such as installing sensors to detect anchor movements or constructing protective barriers around the cables.
These protective measures, however, will incur substantial costs, with the potential for consumers to bear the financial burden through increased taxes or utility costs. Pevkur proposed a solution that would involve charging vessels passing through the Baltic Sea, particularly in areas like the Danish Straits, to help fund the protection efforts. He compared this potential fee to airport landing charges included in ticket prices.
With around 150 undersea cables damaged globally each year, the Baltic Sea is particularly vulnerable due to its dense maritime traffic, with estimates suggesting as many as 4000 ships cross the region daily. The situation has been exacerbated by recent incidents, including the seizure of a Maltese-flagged vessel by Swedish authorities in connection with damage to a cable linking Latvia and Sweden.
Pevkur suggested that the incidents may be the result of coordinated actions by vessels linked to Russia’s "shadow fleet", although official investigations are still ongoing. Moscow has dismissed these claims, accusing Western nations of making unfounded accusations. As discussions continue, countries must find a collective solution to safeguard the region’s undersea cables and maintain maritime security.
AnewZ has learned that India has once again blocked Azerbaijan’s application for full membership in the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, while Pakistan’s recent decision to consider diplomatic relations with Armenia has been coordinated with Baku as part of Azerbaijan’s peace agenda.
A day of mourning has been declared in Portugal to pay respect to victims who lost their lives in the Lisbon Funicular crash which happened on Wednesday evening.
A Polish Air Force pilot was killed on Thursday when an F-16 fighter jet crashed during a training flight ahead of the 2025 Radom International Air Show.
At least eight people have died and more than 90 others were injured following a catastrophic gas tanker explosion on a major highway in Mexico City’s Iztapalapa district on Wednesday, authorities confirmed.
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said on Wednesday that Moscow was ready to deepen discussions with the U.S. on energy cooperation, including on the Sakhalin 1 project, RIA reported.
Russia's violation of Polish and Romanian airspace is part of a long-running trend of boundary-testing and sabotage by President Vladimir Putin, said German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on Wednesday.
Chinese President Xi Jinping is likely to visit South Korea in October for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit, South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun said on Wednesday ahead of talks in Beijing.
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres reaffirmed on Tuesday that a two-state solution is the only viable path to settle the Israel-Palestine conflict.
Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief: here are the top news stories for the 17th of September, covering the latest developments you need to know.
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