Estonian naval ships are taking part in stepped-up patrols in the Baltic Sea by NATO countries after undersea power and communications cables have been damaged in recent months.

The NATO military alliance said Tuesday it would launch a Baltic Sea monitoring mission following the suspected sabotage of undersea cables in recent months.

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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 has launched a mission to safeguard critical underwater infrastructure on the Baltic Sea floor. This operation follows previous incidents involving interruptions to submarine cables, likely planned by Russia.

NATO has launched a mission to safeguard critical underwater infrastructure on the Baltic Sea floor. The operation follows previous incidents of interruptions to submarine cables, most likely planned by Russia.

Why has NATO launched a new operation in the Baltic Sea? Are the sanctions against Russia by the EU and US really working? Carl Bildt, former prime minister of Sweden and co-chair of the European Council on Foreign Relations,