As authorities investigate the fourth Baltic Sea cable-cutting incident in recent months, European leaders have expressed concern about the frequency of attacks involving civilian vessels and critical civilian infrastructure.
The Vezhen, a Bulgarian-owned vessel, was detained this week in the Baltic Sea, suspected of dragging its anchor across the seafloor, severing a data cable between Sweden and Latvia.
Aleksander Kalchev, the CEO of the company that owns the Vezhen, denied that the damage was intentional.
Nevertheless, Swedish security services have boarded the vessel for further investigation.
Latvian Minister of Defense Andris Spruds, in a written response to VOA on Wednesday, confirmed that Latvia is working closely with Sweden and NATO to address the incident.
"Latvia’s Naval Forces' diving team has conducted an inspection at the damage site and collected evidence in cooperation with Swedish Coast Guard vessels," Spruds told VOA.
He emphasized that Latvia would deploy new technologies and continue working closely with NATO allies to enhance the protection of critical sea infrastructure. "These sabotage actions will not be tolerated, and we will continue to enforce bold actions within the rule of law," Spruds said.
Growing pattern of attacks
Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo, whose country launched a sabotage investigation into damage to the Estlink 2 undersea power cable connecting Finland and Estonia on Dec. 25, has emphasized the urgency of the situation.
"This cannot continue," he told Finnish Lannen Media this week. He called for stronger coordination within the European Union to prevent further attacks. "We must be on a common front in sanctions against Russia. That applies to every EU country," he told a Finnish journalist.
The government in Poland, another Baltic Sea country with more than 1,000 kilometers of coastline, has called for enhanced security measures.
In an interview with VOA, Polish Interior Minister Tomasz Siemoniak said recent attacks on undersea cables — such as those between Latvia and Sweden, as well as Estonia and Finland — align with broader patterns of sabotage seen in the region. While investigations are ongoing, Poland views these incidents as deliberate actions, he said.
"Even if there is no direct evidence today, sabotage and provocations are part of Russia’s standard arsenal. ... We are at a point where we have to assume that this is a conscious, deliberate action," he told VOA on Tuesday.
Polish officials also emphasize the need for more coordinated maritime security measures.
"We want such policing missions to start taking place in the Baltic Sea. There is a lot of traffic when it comes to ships and vessels … and security is an absolutely fundamental issue here," he told VOA.
Given its strategic importance and the increasing presence of Russian naval activity, he said, NATO must prioritize the Baltic Sea as a critical security zone.
"The Baltic Sea has become an arena where all tricks are allowed," Siemoniak said.
Political and strategic motives
While evidence is still being gathered, the geopolitical implications of these attacks are becoming clearer. Analysts believe the sabotage is not just an attempt to disrupt communication networks but also a calculated effort to test NATO’s response capabilities and sow discord among member states.
Lawmakers in Finland, the newest member of NATO, have voiced concerns that these incidents may be part of a broader conflict that many Western governments are hesitant to acknowledge.
"If we don't know whether we're at war, it's always best to assume that we are," Jussi Halla-aho, the speaker of the Finnish Parliament, said in an interview earlier this month in the Turku daily Turun Sanomat.
Countering hybrid warfare
A significant challenge for NATO and its allies is how to respond effectively to these incidents. Unlike conventional military aggression, these acts of sabotage involve civilian vessels and infrastructure, making direct retaliation difficult.
"If we openly accuse Russia or China of these attacks, the next logical question is: What are we going to do about it?" Matti Posio, a Finnish foreign policy expert and chief editor at Lannen Media Oy, told VOA in an interview. "The reality is that options are limited, and that’s exactly what the perpetrators are counting on."
With tensions rising, NATO is considering additional measures to secure the Baltic Sea, officials and observers told VOA. One option includes increasing naval patrols and surveillance of key maritime routes. However, "more drastic proposals — such as closing parts of the Gulf of Finland to Russian-linked vessels — remain politically sensitive and legally complex," Posio said.
Dilemma for NATO and EU
Finnish Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen, who visited Latvia this week, issued a a statement with her Latvian counterpart.
"We are aware that Russia is a long-term threat to world peace and international order; therefore, NATO’s deterrence and defense measures must be further strengthened, while coordinating the Allied response to the intensifying threat posed by Russia," their statement said.
As tensions rise, NATO has launched Baltic Sentry 2025 to enhance security and resilience. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has emphasized the need for greater coordination in protecting critical infrastructure from sabotage.
EU interior ministers will meet in Warsaw on Thursday. Among other topics, they will address growing concerns over sabotage targeting critical infrastructure in Europe.
The ministers are expected to discuss potential countermeasures and coordination efforts to strengthen security and deterrence against future disruptions.
