Following the damage done to the undersea electricity cable between Finland and Estonia, Baltic and Scandinavian countries aim to tighten the monitoring of shipping in the Baltic Sea.
Lithuanian Prime Minister Gintautas Paluckas announced on Monday that the countries are developing an action plan to better protect their energy infrastructure.
According to reports in Lithuanian media, the plan will involve monitoring the movement of ships and assessing associated risks. Technical measures will also be implemented.
Lithuania will adopt extra security measures following the cable damage, Energy Minister Zygimantas Vaiciunas confirmed.
The government in Vilnius had already decided in early December that, from 2025, the security of critical energy infrastructure would be enhanced in the country, which is a Baltic, EU and NATO State.
The electricity cable, Estlink 2, between Estonia and Finland was damaged last week. Finnish authorities suspect sabotage and have detained the oil tanker Eagle S, which sails under the Cook Islands flag. Its anchor may have caused the damage.
Finnish investigators recently discovered a suspicious kilometre-long drag mark on the seabed. According to the European Union, the ship is part of the Russian shadow fleet.
In Lithuania and other Baltic countries, vigilance and alertness have increased following possible sabotage actions.
Paluckas highlighted that offshore wind farms also require special attention, noting that damage to electricity cables could cost national economies “tens to hundreds of millions of euros.”
