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US Marines deploy to Baltic to guard NATO undersea cables
Around 48 US recon Marines join NATO's Baltic Sentry mission to monitor critical European infrastructure threatened by Russian interference.
In brief
Around 48 US recon Marines join NATO's Baltic Sentry mission to monitor critical European infrastructure threatened by Russian interference. The US is deploying 48 Marines to the Baltic Sea to help NATO monitor undersea cables and pipelines vulnerable to Russian sabotage, signalling continued American presence in…
Marines head to Baltic Sea
Around four dozen US recon and intelligence Marines from 2nd Reconnaissance Battalion, 2nd Marine Division, and II Marine Expeditionary Force Information Group are deploying to the Baltic Sea.
Mission: protect undersea cables
The Marines will operate alongside Finland's Coastal Brigade in support of NATO's Enhanced Vigilance Activity Baltic Sentry, monitoring cables and pipelines on the seabed.
Redirected from existing training
The Marines were re-tasked from training rotations already in Europe and will feed drone and sensor data into NATO's shared operational picture.
European command structure
Baltic Sentry is led by European allies under Allied Joint Force Command Brunssum and Allied Maritime Command, with the Marine Corps serving in a supportive, enabling capacity.
Building deterrence with Finland
Maj. Gen. Daniel Shipley, who commands US Marine Corps Forces, Europe and Africa, said working with Finnish allies would build a cohesive, lethal team to deter hybrid threats in the Baltic littoral.
“a cohesive, lethal team to deter hybrid threats in the Baltic littoral”
Second deployment to region
This is the Corps' second Baltic Sentry stint.In February 2025, roughly 40 Marines from the same battalion deployed to Finland with RQ-20 Puma drones after a US-Finland defense cooperation agreement took effect in September 2024.
Cable sabotage incidents escalate
Baltic Sentry launched in January 2025 after incidents put the region on edge. Two fiber-optic cables more than 100 nautical miles apart were severed on November 17 and 18, 2024, and on Christmas Day the…
Russian trawlers tracked over cables
A Telegraph investigation logged more than 500 incidents in which 17 Russian trawlers loitered over or traced cables linking Britain to Europe and the US.
“starting to use commercial proxies”
Arctic exercise disrupted
British, Norwegian and American forces disrupted a Russian exercise near Svalbard this spring involving vessels tied to GUGI, Russia's deep-sea research directorate, reportedly rehearsing with a device designed to cut cables while leaving little evidence…
Low-profile signal amid tensions
The deployment comes as Pentagon officials have reportedly asked Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia to tone down public rhetoric on Russia.The Marines' presence signals Washington remains engaged in the Baltic while maintaining a quiet, supporting role.
What to remember
The US is deploying 48 Marines to the Baltic Sea to help NATO monitor undersea cables and pipelines vulnerable to Russian sabotage, signalling continued American presence in Europe while maintaining a low profile.
