NATO vigilance curbs suspicious ship maneuvers in Baltic Sea
The Belgian commander of the NATO ship group, Commander Erik Kockx, declared on Tuesday in Stockholm that since the start of the "Baltic Sentry" mission in January, there have been no incidents related to damage to underwater infrastructure, such as cable breaks. However, he emphasized that suspicious maneuvers of some commercial ships were observed.
What do you need to know?
- Operation "Baltic Sentry": Since January, NATO has been patrolling the Baltic Sea to prevent incidents, such as the cutting of underwater cables.
- Suspicious maneuvers: Commander Erik Kockx noticed strange behaviour of commercial ships that ceased when NATO vessels approached.
- Neutralization of threats: In the Gulf of Riga, nine explosive devices from the World Wars have been neutralized.
As we neared their operational zone, they abruptly altered their trajectory and carried on with their journey without showing any signs of disruption, Kockx observed. He added that it's challenging to definitively assess whether these actions were deliberate acts of sabotage.
NATO ships in the Baltic – commander: vigilance is necessary
On Tuesday, around 9:00 AM Eastern Time, a group of NATO units – including minehunters and ships equipped for underwater operations from Sweden, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Estonia – departed the port of Frihamnen in Stockholm after replenishing supplies. An officer from Poland is onboard one of the ships. Units from Germany and Norway are also supporting the operation.
In addition to monitoring sea activity, the ships participating in Baltic Sentry are neutralizing unexploded ordnance from World War I and II. The commander of the Swedish minehunter Ulvön, Mathias Hagberg, informed that a few days earlier, nine explosive devices had been rendered harmless in the Gulf of Riga.
The military is supported by artificial intelligence
He reminded that unexploded ordnance can pose a real threat, such as being accidentally caught by fishers or washed ashore.
Commander Kockx will lead the mission until June, after which the Latvians will take over for the next six months. He reminded that the activities within Baltic Sentry are not just about the presence of naval units but also cooperation with air forces, coast guards, police, and other services of the Baltic countries. The military is supported by artificial intelligence in the analysis of ship movements.
