NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte says the alliance is launching a new mission to protect undersea cables in the Baltic Sea region

NATO announced on Tuesday that it will beef up its patrol of the Baltic Sea in the light of past infrastructure damage to cables on the sea floor.

Sweden will contribute three warships and an ASC 890 surveillance aircraft to NATO's efforts in the Baltic Sea, aiming to protect against sabotage of infrastructure. This marks Sweden's first military contribution as a NATO member.

NATO has launched a mission to safeguard critical underwater infrastructure on the floor of the Baltic Sea. The operation follows previous incidents of interruptions to submarine cables, most likely planned by Russia.

NATO is stepping up its response over what it sees as an increasing threat to vital infrastructure in the Baltic Sea. Its new mission "Baltic Sentry" aims to protect undersea cables from sabotage after a spate of alleged attacks with a Russia-linked so-called shadow fleet involved.

As many as 30 international cables are laid on the bottom of the Baltic Sea, including crucial energy bridges and telecommunication connections vital for security. Additionally, there are six gas pipelines.

On Wednesday, the NATO Naval Command announced that two ships will be deployed to the Gulf of Finland as part of the new Baltic Sentry mission, established at Tuesday's meeting of Alliance representatives in Helsinki.