NATO Ships in the Baltic Sea: A Clear Signal to Moscow

Two ships from NATO's standing naval group, a German supply ship and a Dutch frigate, arrived in Riga on Friday as part of the continuation of the Baltic Sentry mission. Its goal is to protect underwater infrastructure, the Latvian news agency LETA reported. This is a response to recent sabotage incidents in the Baltic Sea.

Two NATO Maritime Group ships, a Dutch frigate and a German supply ship, have arrived in Riga , Latvia's capital. Their temporary stationing is for the Baltic Sentry mission , which protects underwater infrastructure.

“NATO’s presence in Latvia is a tangible symbol of our commitment to the security of this region,” said Arjen Warnaar, Commander of the Royal Netherlands Navy.

"We are here to show that NATO is united , present and ready," he added.

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The frigate "De Ruyter" is 144 meters long and was commissioned at the beginning of this century. The supply ship "FGS Rhon," approximately 130 meters long , has been in service with the German Navy since the late 1970s. The vessels will be stationed in the Latvian capital until Monday.

In a statement issued by Allied Maritime Command MARCOM, it was emphasized that SNMG1 units, supporting the Baltic Sentry mission, monitor and protect critical submarine infrastructure , such as cables, pipelines and other facilities crucial to regional security.

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The ships' visit to Riga follows recent SNMG1 patrols in the High North and the Barents Sea, demonstrating NATO's operational reach from the Arctic to the Baltic.

NATO's Baltic Sentry mission was established in Helsinki in January to prevent possible sabotage of critical underwater infrastructure after the power transmission link between Finland and Estonia, EstLink 2, and several telecommunications cables were damaged on Christmas Day.

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The suspected attacker was the Russian shadow fleet tanker Eagle S, whose anchor was dragged along the seabed for nearly 100 km. Operation Baltic Sentry involves various countries and military units, as well as warships, reconnaissance aircraft, unmanned aerial vehicles, and maritime drones.