As many as 30 international cables are laid on the bottom of the Baltic Sea, including crucial energy bridges and telecommunication connections vital for security. Additionally, there are six gas pipelines.

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 launched a new Baltic Sea mission that will add military capabilities into the strategic waterway as concerns over suspected Russian sabotage and aggression in the area ratchet up.