On Wednesday, the NATO Naval Command announced that two ships would be deployed to the Gulf of Finland as part of the new Baltic Sentry mission, which was established at Tuesday's meeting of Alliance representatives in Helsinki.

NATO is launching a new mission to protect undersea cables in the Baltic Sea region after a string of incidents that have heightened concerns about possible Russian activities, the alliance’s leader said.

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.