#Baltic Sea patrols

[latestnews-now]

Poland is taking bold steps to fortify its eastern borders, ensuring security against potential threats. Prime Minister Donald Tusk visited the border with Kaliningrad to inspect the groundbreaking "East Shield" project. Learn how this massive $2.5 billion initiative will safeguard Poland and NATO allies. Stay tuned for a full breakdown of this historic defense effort.

[tomorrowusa]

Undersea telecom cables in the Baltic Sea connecting NATO members have been intentionally damaged. Russia is suspected of involvement.

Poland has suggested a regional effort to patrol the Baltic to reduce acts of sabotage.

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said Wednesday he wanted to launch a “navy policing” program to secure the Baltic Sea against Russian threats. Speaking to reporters in Warsaw ahead of a summit of Nordic and Baltic leaders in Sweden, Tusk said the initiative would be “a joint venture of countries located at the Baltic Sea, which have the same sense of threat posed by Russia.” "If Europe is united, then Russia is a technological, financial and economic dwarf in relation to Europe,” he added. “But if Europe is divided, Russia poses a threat to each and every European country individually.”

A fragmented Europe is easy prey for Putin. Countries in the region need to act together to ward off acts of terrorism.

The suggestion comes after a 1,000-kilometer-long undersea telecoms cable linking Finland and Germany, and another connecting Sweden to Lithuania were severed last week. A Chinese-flagged ship that departed Russia and sailed through the Baltic Sea is suspected of being involved.

The Baltic Sea is accessible only through Danish waters or through Germany's Kiel Canal.

Any country which isn't playing nice could theoretically see its access to the sea restricted.

[thatswhywelovegermany]

Verdict concerning urinating at the beach of the Baltic Sea

A man emptied his bladder in the protection of the dark and was confronted by watchful upholders of law and order. The case went to court - and the judges felt challenged to show their craft.

It is one of the advantages of nature that your view of the magnificent landscape is not obstructed by an outside toilet. That's why you simply have no choice but to pee outdoors every now and then. Under the cover of a bush, tree, hill or even the night, an unproblematic affair that should not upset anyone.

Something like that may have gone through the thoughts of the wild wee'er who removed himself about twenty meters from his friends gathered on the Baltic Sea beach in a summer night of July 2022 and urinated protected by the darkness – the act was committed around 00:36 – with his back facing the beach towards the water. Children building sand castles or girls playing volleyball were not active at this time. Nor was the beach frequented by walkers. However, law enforcement officers of the city of Lübeck armed with flashlights patrolled the beach, who confronted the perpetrator – but only after he had emptied his bladder, order must prevail. The man was supposed to pay sixty euros for the administrative offense of "annoyance of the general public by a grossly indecent action", which the man refused to pay. The case went to the district court of Lübeck.

Among other things, the question whether the wild wee'er had violated the public sense of shame was on the table. The court found: no. The person concerned had entrusted himself to the protection of the darkness and did not have to expect to be suddenly illuminated with flashlights and to be approached in a targeted manner. It has to be redounded to the district court's credit that it has also kept an eye on the geographical peculiarities. "The fact that there were no other ways to retreat behind landscape features at the drift line of the Baltic Sea, unlike in mountains and at forest edges, except to turn away, cannot be stacked against the person concerned. That's how it is at the coast."

Yes, that's the way it is at the coast. Continue in the court text, on to the next setback for the Hanseatic city of Lübeck. According to the district court, no discommoding pollution or impairment by odor had occurred. The Baltic Sea is not a puddle, the wild wee'er had determined correctly. The court has researched that it contains "an amount of 21,631 cubic kilometers of brackish water. The degree of dilution would be so high that even in the event of a repeat or imitation a discommoding pollution or impairment by odor is impossible."

Finally, the district court comes to the beautiful, almost poetically formulated judgment that under the vastness of the firmament, man has no less rights than the deer in the forest, the rabbit in the field or the seal at the drift line of the Baltic Sea. And since, in case of doubt, we are sometimes deer, rabbits or seals, depending on the region, the state treasury has to bear the costs of the legal proceedings and the expenses of the person concerned.

[beardedmrbean]

Two families in East Germany, longing for freedom, built their own hot air balloon out of masses of taffeta, bought secretly in preparations that took more than a year.

They planned to flee and cross into West Germany in a daring plan put into action in September 1979.

They set out in their craft on a moonlit September night - after a failed attempt when they ran out of gas in the air and crashed into the bushes below.

However, they managed to reach the West in their second try, making it out of the country in a highly dramatic feat just before the East German police caught up with them.

The two families were dicing with death, as guards protecting the border in East Germany, then part of the Eastern Bloc, were ordered to use lethal force to prevent people defecting to the West.

The inner German border and the Berlin Wall were heavily fortified with watchtowers, land mines, armed soldiers and other measures to prevent illegal crossings.

"We didn't know anything about ballooning," says Günter Wetzel, 69, from one of the two families who managed to flee in their homemade balloon, who researched at length after a television programme provided inspiration.

When asked whether his dreams have been fulfilled in his new home, he replies soberly, "What do you mean by dreams?" Wetzel, who retrained as a car mechanic, was sure it would all work out.

His story was later made into several films. His character was played by US star Beau Bridges in the Disney film "Nightcrossing" and by David Kross in a German movie called "Balloon" (2018).

Sadly the films did not make him rich, however. "We were naive," he says, looking back.

Exploring the former death strip

A sign located on what used to be East Germany's infamous death strip now tells visitors about the balloon flight, known worldwide for its boldness.

Following World War II, Germany was divided for decades, separated by a lengthy border that can now be walked by hikers.

Where the death strip ran along the inner German border, there is now a green belt between the Saxon-Bavarian Vogtland region and the Baltic Sea.

Day trippers are drawn by the combination of forests, moorland, rivers, heathland and low mountain ranges.

Hiking journalist Thorsten Hoyer has covered 1,250 kilometres of the roughly 1,400-kilometre-long green belt in less than a month, but he does not recommend it, saying, "70% of it is over concrete and asphalt."

Nature is working on reclaiming the terrain, but has not yet managed completely.

The route is modelled on the Kolonnenweg on the east side, where the former East Germany border guards patrolled over perforated slabs.

Today, there is greenery everywhere along the path - though less in the way of tourist infrastructure and in places, there could be better signposting.

So it is better if cyclists and hikers focus on select routes, perhaps in the Franconian Forest where the states of Bavaria and Thuringia meet.

'Little Berlin'

The river Saale, once a border, flows leisurely along and builds up to a smooth surface near Hirschberg and is lined with trees and bushes, while canoeists rush over a weir. If you cycle along the colonnade path, watch out for the wide depressions in the concrete.

The situation eases on a forest path and the little road to Mödlareuth. Here, Americans used to call the village "Little Berlin."

Just like the German capital, Mödlareuth was divided by a wall and you can still visit the German-German Museum which has a memorial to the separation of the country. Visitors can also see a section of the Wall, and watchtowers and barbed wire fences bear witness to the painful division.

Britt Hornig, who is currently wandering through the museum grounds, is deeply moved and agitated. She used to work as a paediatric nurse in East Germany. "There can't be anything like this again. That was my childhood, my youth. It was absolute madness what they did to us."

"I went to the demonstrations in Leipzig every week and fought for freedom until the Wall came down."

Otto Oeder, a former border policeman and now 79 years old, also recalls the division. "I thought the world ended there," he says, describing his deployment on the Bavarian side of the Iron Curtain.

He wrote and published his book about those divided years, recalling refugees who made it through. "At our police station, we first dressed them in dry clothes, donated by us, not paid for by the state."

He also set up a regular meeting point in a pub for people who had crossed the border and could share their anecdotes. Anyone loyal to the East German regime was unwelcome.

Hiking through the past

Frankenwald-Steigla is the name of a network of circular hiking trails in the Franconian Forest, three of which illustrate the German-German past.

The Wetzsteinmacher trail, 5.3 kilometres long and starting below Lauenstein Castle, leads up to the Thüringer Warte. It is a viewing tower on the summit of the Ratzenberg and provides a fantastic vantage point to survey the area. Climb 117 steps and you can take in a view of the forests of the Thuringian-Franconian Slate Mountains.

Other climbs include the challenging Grenzer-Weg trail - 16.8 kilometres from Carlsgrün - and the moderate, recently inaugurated 10-kilometre Grünes Band trail, which starts in Mitwitz.

Along the way, a stream babbles and cuckoo calls echo through the forest. You can hear birdsong, while dewdrops sparkle like pearls on blades of grass. Dragonflies dance in the sun and it is so peaceful that you cannot imagine anything ever happened here.

[awesome-casuallyfamouscollector]

USS Roosevelt (DDG-80), an Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer, Riga, Latvia, August 6, 2023. Source: U.S. Embassy Riga

The USS Roosevelt (DDG-80) has been patrolling the Baltic Sea with NATO Allies to underscore the strength and interoperability of the Alliance.

[usafphantom2]

NATO intensifies patrols in the Baltic Sea after damage to submarine infrastructure

Fernando Valduga By Fernando Valduga 10/20/2023 - 4:00 p.m. in Military

NATO and the Allies are intensifying patrols in the Baltic Sea, following the recent damage caused to the region's submarine infrastructure.

The added measures include additional surveillance and reconnaissance flights, namely with maritime patrol aircraft, NATO AWACS aircraft and drones. A fleet of four NATO mine hunters is also being sent to the area.

“We continue to closely monitor the situation and are maintaining direct contact with our allies in Estonia and Finland, and with our partner Sweden,” said interim NATO spokesman Dylan White. “NATO will continue to adapt its maritime posture in the Baltic Sea and will take all necessary measures to keep the Allies safe.”

Since the sabotage of the Nord Stream in September 2022, NATO has intensified patrols near critical submarine infrastructure and promoted technological innovation - including with drones - to better detect any suspicious activity. Earlier this year, NATO created an underwater infrastructure coordination cell to deepen ties between governments, military, industrial actors and NATO, and since then created the NATO Maritime Center for the Security of Critical Underwater Infrastructures under the NATO Maritime Command.

Tags: Military AviationAWACSNATO - North Atlantic Treaty Organization

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Fernando Valduga

Fernando Valduga

Aviation photographer and pilot since 1992, has participated in several events and air operations, such as Cruzex, AirVenture, Dayton Airshow and FIDAE. He has work published in specialized aviation magazines in Brazil and abroad. Uses Canon equipment during his photographic work in the world of aviation.

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[maximumphilosopheranchor]

What if Ukraine falls, emboldening Putin to pursue further expansion into the other former Soviet Union states that, in his view, belong in the Russian empire? Will Nato truly honour its pledge to collective security, or is that promise nothing but hollow rhetoric? The fact is, Nato’s resilience is more fragile than we think. And a victory for Putin could see the world’s most successful alliance begin to crumble. The strength of Nato lies not only in its military prowess but in its unwavering commitment to collective defence, enshrined in Article 5. Yet Article 5 merely compels members to contemplate a response. “The Parties agree that … if such an armed attack occurs, each of them … will take action as it deems necessary…” – that’s all that Article 5 says. That action could mean anything from sending a warship to patrol an incursion, to merely expressing deep concern. Nato Eastern flank countries, such as Estonia and Poland, are on a war footing, shaming Nato up by doing much more than is formally required. Estonia is well ahead of its Nato allies in the 3% GDP defence spending, and Poland in particular is bracing itself for potential war with Russia. According to Polish military sources, there is no intention to wait for Russian boots to step onto Poland’s soil; the war could very well begin on Russian territory itself. Should Ukraine fall, and Russia’s aggression turn toward Nato allies like the Baltic states or Poland, expect to see Nato be fragmented, or even replaced, by those countries who cannot afford to be left exposed by the weaknesses of their so-called allies. Recent statements from Poland’s defence counterintelligence chief, Jaroslaw Strozyk, underscore that Putin is fully prepared for a small-scale military operation in Eastern territories, targeting, for example, the Estonian municipality Narva or encroaching on one of the Swedish islands. It is noteworthy that the Swedish Navy recently accused Russian ‘shadow’ oil tankers navigating through the Baltic Sea of engaging in espionage, gathering information on operations in the port of the island of Gotland under the guise of ‘emergency docking’. Gotland holds strategic significance for the regional security of Northern Europe and is crucial for the defence of neighbouring Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Finland, and Poland. Poland’s intelligence concerns were echoed by those of Estonian, German and the UK officials. It is clear that Putin is only being held off in his intentions by the West’s strong resolve in supporting Ukraine. If that resolve shatters, the likelihood of an imminent Russian attack on Nato would grow exponentially, and the implications would be profound. With existing divisions within Nato, particularly evident in disagreements over matters such as Sweden’s potential accession to the alliance, it’s likely that many member states would prioritise their own defence over that of their weaker allies.

[sandyhookhistory]

“A Repeat Beating For The Kriegsmarine” Eighty Years Ago Today - (Saturday) February 13th, 1943: In an eerily near-identical repeat of yesterday’s disaster, the Germans take it on the chin yet again, losing both another Type VIIC U-Boat AND another steamer, with far more fatal results. U-620, much like yesterday’s victim, U-442, is on her way home from a war patrol. At sea since December 19th, her 57 days have netted but one ship, the British tanker “British Dominion,” on January 11th, 165 miles northwest of the Canary Islands. Now, 106 miles northwest of Lisbon, Portugal, her rough luck runs out permanently. She’s jumped by an American-built twin-engine Consolidated PBY Catalina flying boat of 202 Squadron of the Royal Air Force, flying out of Gibraltar (Photo 1). This squadron, too, is on definitive search-and-destroy anti-submarine operations. Before the Germans can react, the Catalina roars in with depth-charges. The attack is fast, accurate, and lethal. U-620 is ripped open and down she goes. There are No Survivors. She takes All Hands – 47 Officers and Men – to the sea floor with her. Meanwhile, in the port city of Danzig (present day Poland) the German steamer “SS August Blume” (Photo 2) weighs anchor, heading for Aalborg, Denmark… never to be seen again. In the fog of war, the ship just up and vanishes without a trace somewhere in the Baltic. Her entire crew vanishes with her. Now, as if this wasn’t bad enough, at the north end of the Adriatic, off Molat Island, Yogoslavia, the British submarine HMS Thunderbolt (T-Class, Photo 3) picks off the Italian Navy minesweeper "Mafalda" with her deck gun. Juuuuust another day… 🇺🇲🇺🇲 ** Please Like & Follow "Sandy Hook History" on Facebook & Instagram for more amazing maritime and military histories of the Garden State and New York Harbor as well as a review of the 80th Anniversary of the Battle Of The Atlantic and World War 2** 🇺🇲🇺🇲 (at Fort Hancock, New Jersey) https://www.instagram.com/p/Conql8igym8/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[boome11]

Estonian militaryThe patrol boat Raju's main task will be to protect the Estlink 1 power cableNato has said it will enhance its military presence in the Baltic Sea, and Estonia has sent a patrol ship to protect its Estlink1 undersea power cable, after Russia was accused of sabotaging its main power link in the Gulf of Finland.A ship named as Eagle S is suspected of damaging the Estlink 2 cable and Finnish coast guard crew have boarded the oil tanker and steered it into Finnish waters.The EU said the Eagle S was part of "Russia's shadow fleet" and the failure of the undersea cable was the "latest in a series of suspected attacks on critical infrastructure".Estonian Defence Minister Hanno Pevkur said the Raju had set sail early on Friday and he believed Finland would join the operation to protect the remaining cable.He told Estonian public radio that the Raju's task was "to ensure that nothing happens there and that our critical connection with Finland remains operational".The Kremlin has declined to comment on the damage to the cable, describing it as a "very narrow issue" and not an issue for the Russian presidency.Nato Secretary General Mark Rutte said on social media that he had spoken to Finland's president, Alexander Stubb, adding that Nato would boost its presence in the Baltic. A further statement by the alliance said only that "Nato remains vigilant and is working to provide further support".Finland and Estonia are both Nato members and Estonian Prime Minister Kristen Michal told public TV that, if necessary, they would invoke Article 4 of the Nato Treaty, which involves consultation if any member state feels threatened."Our wish would be to receive reinforcements from Nato in the form of a fleet to act as a deterrent," he was quoted as saying by news agency BNS.Estonia's power supply has been dramatically reduced after its 170km (105-mile) Estlink 2 cable was shut down.In its initial assessment on Thursday, Finland's Fingrid company said repairs to the cable could last until the end of July 2025.The damage to Estlink 2 is the third incident in little more than a month in the Baltic Sea. Last month, two data cables were severed: the Arelion cable between the Swedish island of Gotland and Lithuania on 17 November, and then the C-Lion 1 cable was damaged between the Finnish capital, Helsinki, and the German port of Rostock.A Chinese ship, the Yi Peng 3, was suspected of dragging its anchor over the cables in a separate act of Russian sabotage. In October 2023, another Chinese ship ruptured an undersea gas pipeline between Finland and Estonia.The Yi Peng 3 and Eagle S are both suspected of being part of a so-called shadow fleet of oil tankers that Russia is using to avoid Western sanctions imposed since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine.EPA-EFE/REX/ShutterstockThe Yi Peng 3 eventually set sail from the Kattegat strait last weekThe EU said it was working on measures including sanctions to target "Russia's shadow fleet, which threatens security and the environment".After several weeks at anchor in the Kattegat strait between Sweden and Denmark, the Chinese tanker was eventually boarded by authorities from Sweden, Denmark, Germany and Finland, but then set sail last week.By contrast, Finnish authorities said they had boarded the Cook Islands-registered Eagle S in the early hours of Thursday and it was escorted towards the Finnish coast off Porkkala, across the Gulf of Finland from Tallinn."Our patrol vessel travelled to the area and could determine visually that the vessel's anchor was missing," said Markku Hassinen, deputy head of the Finnish Border Guard, told a news conference.The Estonian prime minister sought to reassure Estonians on Thursday that they would continue to have secure power supplies. The two main power companies, Elering and Eesti Energia, had various reserve and back-up power plants, he told reporters.However, he added that it was impossible to protect every square metre of the seabed at all times. https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/1024/branded_news/b57d/live/e0ef6910-c432-11ef-895e-b1d759fc74a3.jpg 2024-12-27 13:33:55

[third-new]

NATO steps up maritime patrols while Finland investigates possible sabotage of undersea cables

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said Friday that the military alliance will step up patrols in the Baltic Sea region as Finnish investigators work to determine whether a ship linked to Russia sabotaged undersea cables there this week. Finnish authorities took control of the Eagle S ship on Thursday, trying to determine whether it had damaged a power cable connecting Finland and Estonia and…

[newtras]

NATO steps up maritime patrols while Finland investigates possible sabotage of undersea cables

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said Friday that the military alliance will step up patrols in the Baltic Sea region as Finnish investigators work to determine whether a ship linked to Russia sabotaged undersea cables there this week. Finnish authorities took control of the Eagle S ship on Thursday, trying to determine whether it had damaged a power cable connecting Finland and Estonia and…

[newbizz]

NATO steps up maritime patrols while Finland investigates possible sabotage of undersea cables

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said Friday that the military alliance will step up patrols in the Baltic Sea region as Finnish investigators work to determine whether a ship linked to Russia sabotaged undersea cables there this week. Finnish authorities took control of the Eagle S ship on Thursday, trying to determine whether it had damaged a power cable connecting Finland and Estonia and…

[satrthere]

NATO steps up maritime patrols while Finland investigates possible sabotage of undersea cables

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said Friday that the military alliance will step up patrols in the Baltic Sea region as Finnish investigators work to determine whether a ship linked to Russia sabotaged undersea cables there this week. Finnish authorities took control of the Eagle S ship on Thursday, trying to determine whether it had damaged a power cable connecting Finland and Estonia and…

[globalnews1]

Estonian militaryThe patrol boat Raju's main task will be to protect the Estlink 1 power cableNato has said it will enhance its military presence in the Baltic Sea, and Estonia has sent a patrol ship to protect its Estlink1 undersea power cable, after Russia was accused of sabotaging its main power link in the Gulf of Finland.A ship named as Eagle S is suspected of damaging the Estlink 2 cable and Finnish coast guard crew have boarded the oil tanker and steered it into Finnish waters.The EU said the Eagle S was part of "Russia's shadow fleet" and the failure of the undersea cable was the "latest in a series of suspected attacks on critical infrastructure".Estonian Defence Minister Hanno Pevkur said the Raju had set sail early on Friday and he believed Finland would join the operation to protect the remaining cable.He told Estonian public radio that the Raju's task was "to ensure that nothing happens there and that our critical connection with Finland remains operational".Nato Secretary General Mark Rutte said on social media that he had spoken to Finland's president, Alexander Stubb, adding that Nato would boost its presence in the Baltic.Finland and Estonia are both Nato members and Estonian Prime Minister Kristen Michal told public TV that, if necessary, they would invoke Article 4 of the Nato Treaty, which involves consultation if any member state feels threatened."Our wish would be to receive reinforcements from Nato in the form of a fleet to act as a deterrent," he was quoted as saying by news agency BNS.Estonia's power supply has been dramatically reduced after its 170km (105-mile) Estlink 2 cable was shut down.In its initial assessment on Thursday, Finland's Fingrid company said repairs to the cable could last until the end of July 2025.The damage to Estlink 2 is the third incident in little more than a month in the Baltic Sea. Last month, two data cables were severed: the Arelion cable between the Swedish island of Gotland and Lithuania on 17 November, and then the C-Lion 1 cable was damaged between the Finnish capital, Helsinki, and the German port of Rostock.A Chinese ship, the Yi Peng 3, was suspected of dragging its anchor over the cables in a separate act of Russian sabotage. EPA-EFE/REX/ShutterstockThe Yi Peng 3 eventually set sail from the Kattegat strait last weekIn October 2023, another Chinese ship ruptured an undersea gas pipeline between Finland and Estonia.The Yi Peng 3 and Eagle S are both suspected of being part of a so-called shadow fleet of oil tankers that Russia is using to avoid Western sanctions imposed since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine.The EU said it was working on measures including sanctions to target "Russia's shadow fleet, which threatens security and the environment".After several weeks at anchor in the Kattegat strait between Sweden and Denmark, the Chinese tanker was eventually boarded by authorities from Sweden, Denmark, Germany and Finland, but then set sail last week.By contrast, Finnish authorities said they had boarded the Cook Islands-registered Eagle S in the early hours of Thursday and it was escorted towards the Finnish coast off Porkkala, across the Gulf of Finland from Tallinn."Our patrol vessel travelled to the area and could determine visually that the vessel's anchor was missing," said Markku Hassinen, deputy head of the Finnish Border Guard, told a news conference.The Estonian prime minister sought to reassure Estonians on Thursday that they would continue to have secure power supplies. The two main power companies, Elering and Eesti Energia, had various reserve and back-up power plants, he told reporters.However, he added that it was impossible to protect every square metre of the seabed at all times.

[head-post]

NATO struggles to ensure Baltic Sea security

30 NATO ships and 4,000 troops travelled to the Baltic Sea for one of the largest naval drills in northern Europe hours after two communication cables were severed, according to Reuters.

The 12-day Freezing Winds drill was part of NATO’s efforts to reinforce infrastructure security in waters through which 15% of the world’s shipping passes. Commander Arlo Abrahamson, a spokesperson for NATO’s Allied Maritime Command, said:

NATO is stepping up patrols, … allies are investing in innovative technologies that can help better secure these assets.

The Baltic Sea borders eight NATO countries and Russia. Since the war broke out in Ukraine, at least three incidents of possible sabotage have occurred on more than 40 telecommunications cables and critical gas pipelines.

On the third day of the exercise, German Navy commander Beata Król attempted to launch an underwater drone from her demining vessel Weilheim to inspect the seabed. However, after a 30-minute launch delay, the drone froze due to a winter storm.

NATO is also shifting its fleet of six ships to track suspicious underwater activity. The ships will use hull-mounted sonar that scans the seabed, deploys drones capable of taking underwater footage and experienced divers. However, the fleet’s authority was still limited, Król noted.

We are a defensive alliance, so by conducting training and exercising, also in areas which are crucial with underwater infrastructure, we show presence and prevent rather than actively engage.

Underwater cable rupture

Security sources claimed that the Chinese bulk carrier Yi Peng 3, which left the Russian port of Ust-Luga on 15 November, was responsible for breaking two underwater cables in Swedish economic waters between 17 and 18 November. The vessel allegedly dragged its anchor across the seabed.

As of Monday, the Yi Peng 3 was in Danish economic waters under surveillance by NATO member naval vessels. Sweden, meanwhile, called for it to return for investigation. Politicians accused the Chinese vessel of sabotage, but authorities failed to provide evidence that its actions were deliberate.

This case is similar to last year’s incident when the Chinese ship NewNew Polar Bear damaged two cables connecting Estonia to Finland and Sweden, as well as the Estonia-Finland gas pipeline.

China pledged to help with the investigation, whereas Russia denied any involvement in the alleged sabotage.

Meanwhile, German Lieutenant-General Hans-Werner Wiermann, who headed the submarine infrastructure coordination team at NATO headquarters until March, said no pipeline or cable could be permanently guarded. Wiermann stated that some companies were already laying alternate routes to ensure that critical facilities would continue to operate even if one of the cables was severed.

Read more HERE

[sjvllsblog]

The Polish Navy submarine ORP Orzeł in the base at Rosyth, January 1940.

ORP Orzeł was the lead ship of her class of submarines serving in the Polish Navy during World War II. Her name means "Eagle" in Polish. The boat is best known for the Orzeł incident, her escape from internment in neutral Estonia during the early stages of the Second World War.

Orzeł was laid down 14 August 1936 at the Dutch shipyard De Schelde, as the Job No. 205; launched on 15 January 1938, and commissioned on 2 February 1939. She was a modern design (designed by the joint venture of Polish and Dutch engineers), albeit quite large for the shallow waters of the Baltic Sea.

Orzeł departed on her seventh patrol on 23 May 1940, to the central North Sea. On 1 and 2 June a radio message was transmitted from Rosyth ordering her to alter her patrol area and proceed to the Skagerrak. No radio signals had been received from her since she had sailed, and on 5 June she was ordered to return to base. She never acknowledged reception, and never returned to base. 8 June 1940 was officially accepted as the day of her loss. Although various theories exist regarding her loss, and it is commonly believed that she ran onto a mine in the Skagerrak, the true cause of her loss remains unknown to this day. There is the possibility that Orzeł may have been sunk either by a British minefield or by an adjacent German minefield, or mistakenly attacked by a British airplane.

Between 2008 and 2017 a number of Polish expeditions, both private and public-funded, searched the region of North Sea where she went missing with the hope of finding her final resting place. Wrecks of various other ships have been located, but Orzeł has not been among them and ultimately the fate of the ship remains a mystery.

(Colour: Mateusz Prociak)

(Polish Navy in colour)