The move marks yet another step in the systematic military encircling of Russia by the US-led military alliance, which continues to back the far-right Ukrainian regime in a war aimed at inflicting a strategic defeat on Moscow and subjugating its territory to semi-colonial status.

The Baltic Sea operation in the region bordering Russia comes as European fears of sabotage mount after a string of disruptions to underwater cables.

NATO is launching a new mission to protect undersea cables in the Baltic Sea region after a string of incidents that have heightened fears of Russian sabotage and spying in the strategic region, the alliance's leader said on Tuesday.

NATO countries will deploy frigates, patrol aircraft and naval drones in the Baltic Sea to help protect critical infrastructure and reserve the right to take action against ships suspected of posing a security threat,

The NATO military alliance said Tuesday it would launch a Baltic Sea monitoring mission following the suspected sabotage of undersea cables in recent months.

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, established at Tuesday's meeting of Alliance representatives in Helsinki.

As many as 30 international cables are laid on the bottom of the Baltic Sea, including crucial energy bridges and telecommunication connections vital for security. Additionally, there are six gas pipelines.