NATO and its eight Baltic Sea allies say they are stepping up efforts to deter 'any attempts at sabotage' in the wake of a series of incidents that have damaged key undersea power and telecommunications cables.

NATO countries on the Baltic Sea met in Helsinki on Tuesday, looking to boost security following the suspected sabotage of undersea cables, widely blamed on Russia. NATO said in late December it would increase its presence in the region following the suspected sabotage of undersea cables between Finland and Estonia but it has yet to announce an official operation.

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

The Baltic Sea operation in the region bordering Russia comes as European fears of sabotage mount after a string of disruptions to underwater cables.

Baltic NATO countries meeting in Helsinki on Tuesday vowed to boost patrol missions after several telecom and power cables were severed in the Baltic Sea in recent months, with experts and

NATO announced a new mission on Tuesday to better protect critical underwater infrastructure in the Baltic Sea with significantly more ships, aircraft and drones, as concerns about Russian aggression in the region grow.

NATO chief Mark Rutte has said the military alliance was launching a Baltic Sea monitoring mission following the suspected sabotage of undersea cables in recent months.

The European Union’s new digital chief, Henna Virkkunen, suggested the repeated damage to undersea cables in the Baltic Sea couldn’t be fully accidental, as leaders from the region prepare to gather for a NATO summit devoted to the topic.

NATO warships began patrolling the Baltic Sea this week. Some of the ships are anchored in Tallinn's Mine Harbor, ERR reports. Warships have begun patrolling as part of the Baltic Guard program. Three NATO ships anchored in Tallinn.

A French patrol aircraft operating in international airspace over the Baltic Sea as part of a NATO observation mission was detected by the radar of the Russian S-400 air defense system. French Defense Minister Sébastien Lecornu condemned this action,