NATO ships are heading to the Gulf of Finland after the sabotage of the Balticconnector
26.10.2023 - 17:00
Ships of the 1st permanent NATO mine countermeasures group are heading to the Gulf of Finland due to the threat to the region’s underwater infrastructure.
After carrying out exercises and mine countermeasures in French waters, the 1st permanent NATO mine countermeasures group (SNMCMG1) is returning to the Baltic Sea, reports Gospodarka Morska.
The fleet will increase patrols in the region due to the recent sabotage of the Balticconnector gas pipeline and submarine cables. The group is led by Polish ships.
SNMCMG-1 includes the mine defense ship ORP Kadm. Xawery Czernicki (511), minesweepers ORP Drużno (641) and ORP Hańcza (642) of the 8th Coastal Defense Flotilla, Dutch minesweeper HNLMS Vlaardingen (M863) and Belgian minesweeper BNS Crocus (M917).
SNMCMG1’s area of operation is the Baltic, North and Norwegian Seas, as well as the eastern part of the Atlantic Ocean.
Read also: The Balticconnector gas pipeline damaged a Chinese ship: what is known about it
