Dropping anchor in the gray zone: Why Russia is suspected of Baltic Sea sabotage

A cargo vessel, preliminarily linked to a Chinese company, damaged a fiber-optic cable connecting Latvia and Sweden with its anchor. The incident occurred on January 26 near Sweden's Gotland Island, with the owner citing it as accidental. The ship has been detained.

This marks the fourth case of damage to critical NATO infrastructure in the Baltic Sea in 18 months. Suspicions point to Russia and its shadow fleet transporting sanctioned oil products as potential culprits behind the sabotage.

Russia is increasingly using this tool to conduct operations against the West, says Ryhor Nizhnikau, an analyst at the Finnish Institute of International Affairs, in an interview with LIGA.net. The Baltic Sea is strategically vital for Moscow and a weak point in NATO's security.

The alliance must prepare for further confrontations with the Kremlin's maritime interests, adds Dr. Hiski Haukkala, director of the institute, in comments to LIGA.net.

The problem is that Russia cannot simply be banned from sea passage — this would heighten risks for civilian and commercial trade security. How, then, can NATO counter Russia's hybrid warfare in the Baltic Sea?