Finnish authorities boarded and searched a target vessel in the Baltic Sea on Thursday in a live drill that officials said shows how seriously the region takes the threat of undersea sabotage after a string of incidents. Masked officers from the coast guard, police and armed forces fast-roped onto the vessel’s deck from a helicopter, securing the crew and sweeping the ship room by room. Coast Guard Commander Ilja Iljin, who led the exercise, said it reflects what Helsinki considers “the new normal,” noting that the Baltic region has experienced ruptures of power cables, telecom lines and gas pipelines since Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine, raising concerns that critical infrastructure lacks sufficient protection.
While most prior incidents were caused by vessels dragging their anchors over subsea infrastructure, officials said they are also preparing for deliberate sabotage involving divers, mini-submarines or diving robots carrying explosives. Iljin noted that signs a ship may be involved in cable damage include abrupt changes in speed or course as it passes over an undersea line, and said Finland’s response has sharpened with each incident, with the most recent suspect vessel brought under control within hours compared to earlier cases where ships sailed on before authorities could act. The Finnish government is separately seeking new legislation to grant the Border Guard, including the coast guard, expanded powers to stop and inspect ships suspected of being stateless or falsely flagged, and to intervene against unmanned underwater vehicles in its waters.
Source: gCaptain / Reuters — https://gcaptain.com/finland-practices-ship-boardings-at-sea-to-stop-undersea-sabotage/
Tags: Baltic Sea, Finland, Undersea Cables, Maritime Security
