Finland announces new Baltic Sea surveillance center as NATO steps up presence

Finland’s Border Guard is setting up a maritime surveillance center together with other Baltic Sea ‌states and the ‌European ⁠Commission ​for ‌the protection of critical undersea infrastructure in the Gulf of Finland, it said on Monday.

“Competent authorities must have the ⁠capability and the authority ‌to intervene in ‍situations occurring ‍in the territorial sea ‍and the exclusive economic zone,” it said in a statement.

The Baltic Sea ​region is on high alert after ⁠a string of power cable, telecom link and gas pipeline outages.

Since Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, and NATO has increased its Baltic Sea presence with frigates, aircraft and naval drones.