NATO plans to strengthen its military presence in the Baltic Sea by deploying ships to protect underwater infrastructure in the region, according to a report by Finnish public broadcaster Yle. The operation is set to begin by the end of the week.

The decision follows a spate of suspected sabotage incidents on underwater cables.

General Mark Rutte says the military alliance will step up patrols in the Baltic Sea area as Finnish investigators work to establish whether a ship linked to Russia sabotaged undersea cables there this week.

NATO said on Friday it would boost its presence in the Baltic Sea after the suspected sabotage this week of an undersea power cable and four internet lines, while alliance member Estonia launched a naval operation to guard a parallel electricity link.

In addition, a U.K.-led 10-member consortium of northern European nations called the Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF) has reactivated an AI-based system to track suspicious ships in these waters. The actions are a response to the suspected deliberate severing on Christmas Day of the Estlink 2 undersea power cable and four undersea communications cables between Finland and Estonia,

NATO will begin a large-scale operation to protect critical infrastructure in the Baltic Sea at the end of this week. The alliance is sending up to ten ships for the mission, Yle reports. According to the news agency,

NATO plans to bolster its military presence in the Baltic Sea by deploying ships to protect underwater infrastructure in the region, according to a report by Finnish public broadcaster Yle. The operation is set to begin at the end of the week.