Chinese researchers apply for patents for ‘submarine cable cutting devices,’ while Russian experts boast on television that cable-cutting will

NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte says the alliance is launching a new mission to protect undersea cables in the Baltic Sea region

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 announced on Tuesday that it will beef up its patrol of the Baltic Sea in the light of past infrastructure damage to cables on the sea floor.

The incidents contributed to mounting European fears of sabotage, as NATO officials accuse Russia of a growing “destabilization campaign” over their military support for Ukraine and sanctions against Moscow.

NATO is stepping up its response over what it sees as an increasing threat to vital infrastructure in the Baltic Sea. Its new mission "Baltic Sentry" aims to protect undersea cables from sabotage after a spate of alleged attacks with a Russia-linked so-called shadow fleet involved.

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,