https://sputnikglobe.com/20250127/wests-obsession-with-baltic-sabotage-meant-to-aid-seas-transformation-into-nato-lake-1121506528.html
West’s Obsession With Baltic ‘Sabotage’ Meant to Aid Sea’s Transformation Into ‘NATO Lake’
West’s Obsession With Baltic ‘Sabotage’ Meant to Aid Sea’s Transformation Into ‘NATO Lake’
Sputnik International
Unseasonably warm January temperatures have been accompanied by tensions heating up in the Baltic Sea region, with NATO ramping up naval drills and patrols and accusing Russia of a clandestine campaign of sabotage against undersea communications and energy links. Sputnik asked one of Russia’s top naval experts what’s really going on.
2025-01-27T17:09+0000
2025-01-27T17:09+0000
2025-01-27T17:09+0000
analysis
alexander stubb
europe
russia
latvia
sweden
nato
cable
underwater cable
https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e9/01/1b/1121507092_0:160:3072:1888_1920x0_80_0_0_e68bf515ec89d92d84dd03e4908bdc77.jpg
The Baltic Sea ‘cablegate’ saga continues to escalate, with the Swedish coast guard intercepting and seizing a Malta-flagged bulk carrier on route to Russia on Sunday and alleging that the ship had deliberately damaged a fiber-optic communication cable linking Sweden and Latvia.Latvia quickly deployed a warship patrolling the area to the site of the incident, and held an extraordinary meeting of the government. «We have determined that there is most likely external damage and that it is significant,» Prime Minister Evika Silina said.Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson said Stockholm was cooperating with Latvia and NATO, and would «contribute important capabilities to the ongoing effort to investigate the suspected incident.»Gulf of Tonkin: Baltic Edition?Pointing the finger at Russia allows NATO “to justify their patrolling, justify the inspection of ships coming out of St. Petersburg,” Dandykin explained.The retired officer expects the “game of nerves” and “provocations” to continue, and believes claims of Russian plots to damage undersea cables could escalate into something more to justify further NATO intervention.Dandykin doesn’t rule out that cablegate may be tied to the situation in Ukraine and rumors of a ‘100-day’ Trump peace plan, and says long-term NATO planning for the Baltic, and the new “100 Year Partnership” signed between Britain and Ukraine may very well be tied to the sudden surge of activity in the region.Cable ClaimsThe Latvia-Sweden cable incident is the latest chapter of a drama that began in November 2024, when NATO allies accused a Chinese Bulk carrier of deliberately severing two fiber-optic cables in Swedish waters, and tried to link the incident to an October 2023 accident in which a Hong Kong-registered ship damaged the Balticconnector gas pipeline linking Finland and Estonia.In December, Finland seized a Cook Islands-registered oil tanker after accusing it of dragging its anchor across the Estlink 2 underwater powerline between Finland and Estonia. Finnish President Alexander Stubb initially claimed that the incident was «definitely» Russia-linked, but later walked back his words, saying last week that it was «not in the interest of Russia or anyone» to sabotage fragile infrastructure links in the Baltic.Last week, US and European officials told the Washington Post that there was an «emerging consensus» in the intelligence community that recent cable-related incidents were accidents. Investigations found «no evidence» that the ships damaging infrastructure by dragging their anchors across it «did so intentionally or at the direction of Moscow.»Instead, «inexperienced crews serving aboard poorly maintained vessels» were to blame, officials said, making conclusions based on intercepted communications and other classified information.NATO nevertheless decided to take action against the (apparently non-existing) threat, announcing last week that it would be deploying frigates, drones and patrol aircraft to «protect» critical regional infrastructure and reserving the right to «take action» against ships posing a security threat. The program has been christened ‘Baltic Sentry’.
https://sputnikglobe.com/20250108/nato-to-send-up-to-10-ships-to-baltic-sea-to-protect-underwater-infrastructure-1121384295.html
https://sputnikglobe.com/20250119/us-european-intel-agencies-admit-accidents-not-russia-to-blame-for-baltic-cable-damage-1121464458.html
russia
latvia
sweden
2025
News
en_EN
https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e9/01/1b/1121507092_171:0:2902:2048_1920x0_80_0_0_84cc37a788f9678a46b17ffd501138cf.jpg
is baltic a nato lake, did russia sabotage cable, who sabotaged baltic cable, is nato militarizing baltic sea, who owns baltic sea
is baltic a nato lake, did russia sabotage cable, who sabotaged baltic cable, is nato militarizing baltic sea, who owns baltic sea
Unseasonably warm January temperatures have been accompanied by tensions heating up in the Baltic Sea region, with NATO ramping up naval drills and patrols and accusing Russia of a clandestine campaign of sabotage against undersea communications and energy links. Sputnik asked one of Russia’s top naval experts what’s really going on.
Latvia quickly deployed a warship patrolling the area to the site of the incident, and held an extraordinary meeting of the government. «We have determined that there is most likely external damage and that it is significant,» Prime Minister Evika Silina said.
«NATO ships and aircraft are working together with national resources from the Baltic Sea countries to investigate and, if necessary, take action,» the alliance said in a statement.
Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson said Stockholm was cooperating with Latvia and NATO, and would «contribute important capabilities to the ongoing effort to investigate the suspected incident.»
Gulf of Tonkin: Baltic Edition?
Pointing the finger at Russia allows NATO “to justify their patrolling, justify the inspection of ships coming out of St. Petersburg,” Dandykin explained.
In reality, “Russia has no interest in aggravating” already tense relations with the West in the Baltic. “We have no plans to fight them, but they’ve found a reason to challenge our ‘threat’ anyway, and are holding exercises to attack us later,” Dandykin stressed.
The retired officer expects the “game of nerves” and “provocations” to continue, and believes claims of Russian plots to damage undersea cables could escalate into something more to justify further NATO intervention.
The Latvia-Sweden cable incident is the latest chapter of a drama that began in November 2024, when NATO allies accused a Chinese Bulk carrier of deliberately severing two fiber-optic cables in Swedish waters, and tried to link the incident to an October 2023 accident in which a Hong Kong-registered ship damaged the Balticconnector gas pipeline linking Finland and Estonia.
Instead, «inexperienced crews serving aboard poorly maintained vessels» were to blame, officials said, making conclusions based on intercepted communications and other classified information.
