Amid a series of incidents that have damaged critical cables in the Baltic Sea, intelligence services in the U.S. and Europe are increasingly convinced that they were caused by accidents, according to a report by the Washington Post on Jan.

Crew on board an oil tanker accused of sabotaging undersea power and communications cables in the Baltic Sea were poised to cut other cables and pipelines when Finnish authorities boarded the vessel last month,

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.

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.