The European Union has announced new sanctions against the so-called "shadow fleet" of Russia for suspicion of involvement in damage to electrical and date cables in the Baltic Sea. The joint statement of the European Commission and the high representative of the EU emphasized the need for a decisive response to such incidents, which threaten critically important infrastructure.
"The incident with the underwater cables in the Baltic Sea is the last in a series of suspected attacks on critically important infrastructure. We are highly evaluated by the operational actions of the Finnish authorities that inspected the vessel suspected of involvement in the incident," the statement said.
The EU has expressed solidarity with the affected countries, including Finland, Estonia and Germany, and confirmed its willingness to cooperate in the investigation.
The Russian "shadow fleet" - a network of ships operating outside international standards - has become the subject of criticism because of the threat of safety, environment and facilitating the financing of Russia's military budget. The EU plans to impose new sanctions aimed at limiting the activities of these vessels.
In response to the EU incident, the submarine infrastructure protection measures are exacerbated. Planned:
- Improvement of threat identification systems.
- Expanding international security cooperation.
- Increasing the possibilities of rapid repair of damaged objects.
Despite the incident, the EU assured that the supply of electricity in the region is not at risk.
The statement emphasizes that the European Union strongly condemns any acts of deliberate destruction of critically important infrastructure. The EU demonstrates its willingness to protect the interests of the Member States, strengthening security measures and holding those responsible.
