Finnish intelligence warns of risk of new Russian sabotage in Baltic Sea
Finnish military intelligence has reported that Russia retains the capability to operate in the Baltic Sea and may continue attempts to damage undersea communications.
As reported by Yle, a Finnish public service media company, Russia's capacity to use vessels in the Baltic Sea to exert broad influence remains significant, military intelligence said in a review released on Thursday 22 January.
The agency does not consider an immediate military threat from Russia to Finland likely this year, as Russian forces are currently engaged in Ukraine.
However, the intelligence assessment said that as Russia develops its forces, its ability to carry out military operations against Finland will increase significantly.
On 21 January, a major power outage hit the Danish island of Bornholm in the Baltic Sea after an undersea cable linking the island to Sweden was disabled.
In recent years, a series of suspicious incidents involving damage to communications and energy cables has taken place in the Baltic Sea.
Following these incidents, several NATO countries launched the Baltic Sentry mission, which patrols key areas of the Baltic Sea to protect undersea infrastructure.