INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
Baltic Sea complicates the patrol for the 50 sailors aboard the Jotvingis
Their mission aboard the Lithuanian Navy command vessel: preventing hybrid threats as part of NATO's Baltic Sentry operation.On the horizon,
a large black silhouette emerges from the winter gray
Yet the command bridge remains inactive
our radio call earlier," the captain says
The massive vessel disappears into the mist.Off the Lithuanian coast, military personnel ensure no ship displays threatening activity within
shifts on deck feel interminable
Upon rotation, the sailors quickly retreat inside the ship, where officers scrutinize radar screens, searching for suspicious vessels.Covert
tactics in the BalticIf the Jotvingis and the dozen other Lithuanian Navy vessels remain on high alert, it is because tensions in the Baltic
these shallow waters have become a stage for hybrid warfare, with attacks strongly suggesting Russian involvement."We are facing hybrid
scenarios that were not on our radar a few years ago
Baltic Sea is crisscrossed with electrical and communication cables
Often aging, poorly insured and operating outside legal oversight, they allow Russia to bypass Western oil sanctions.The most recent
Swedish authorities detained the Michelis San, a bulk carrier sailing under the Maltese flag.A month earlier on Dec
25, the Estlink 2 power cable between Finland and Estonia was severed
Finnish authorities reported that an oil tanker, the Eagle S, dragged its anchor along the seabed for 60 miles before it latched onto the
of international sanctions, the vessel remains docked along the Finnish coast pending investigative results
Just hours later, at 4:04 a.m
the next day, the C-Lion1 cable connecting Helsinki, Finland, to Rostock, Germany, was also damaged.Operation Baltic SentryAs of 2023, every
announced a set of security measures including Operation Baltic Sentry at the Baltic Allies Summit in Helsinki on Jan
device is controlled through a smartphone app
That day, no damage was detected on the cables 50 meters below the vessel.In some operations, the Jotvingis also monitors the shadow fleet,
We question the captain and relay all information to the authorities," Admiral Premeneckas says.These "authorities" are the NATO
European Union and NATO member states: the 'Shadow Fleet' list
fleet is believed to number in the hundreds.Hybrid warfareHybrid warfare, as primarily conducted by Russia against the West, blends
conventional military tactics with cyberattacks, disinformation, economic pressure and covert sabotage
in his highest naval uniform, Admiral Premeneckas also notes the environmental risks posed by the outdated, poorly insured and barely
catastrophe," he says.On Jan
Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock slammed Russia for "endangering European security not only with its war of aggression against Ukraine but
GRU and FSB, targeted Europe, with tactics ranging from physical sabotage to cyberattacks and election interference."With these operations,
Russia is escalating its hybrid war in Europe, conducting attacks on an ever-shifting front," said Charlie Edwards, a senior fellow at the
International Institute for Strategic Studies in London.That day on the Jotvingis, no shadow fleet vessels were detected
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