**UK-Led Coalition Steps Up Underwater Monitoring**
A UK-led coalition has set up a tracking system to monitor ships in the Baltic Sea. The new Nordic Warden system alerts allies if a vessel behaves suspiciously and tracks Russia’s shadow fleet of tankers.
The decision comes after several telecommunication and energy cables underneath the Baltic Sea were damaged over the past six months. Four telecom cables and one power cable were severed on December 25, with only two repaired by January 7.
Authorities suspect the Russian shadow vessel Eagle S of the sabotage. The new system monitors ships in real-time and alerts JEF and NATO allies if a vessel behaves suspiciously. Its database also contains tankers that are part of Russia’s shadow fleet.
**Increased Military Presence**
Parallel to the Nordic Warden operation, NATO is increasing its military presence in the Baltic Sea to bolster situational awareness and deter potential threats. Allies are also exploring measures to protect critical undersea infrastructure, supported by NATO’s Maritime Centre for Security of Critical Undersea Infrastructure, established in May.
The UK-led Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF) has set up a tracking system to alert allies if a ship poses a threat to undersea cable infrastructure and track Russia’s shadow fleet of tankers. The decision comes after several telecommunication and energy cables underneath the Baltic Sea were damaged over the past six months.