NATO Eyes Russian Borders with Intense Surveillance

NATO members, including the U. S. , U. K. , France, and Sweden, ramped up surveillance near Russia's borders on Tuesday. This heightened activity comes amid worries about Russia's suspicious actions, like cutting undersea cables and moving shadowy oil tankers. But this isn't new; NATO has been keeping an eye on Russia for a while now. Even Russia sends its planes and jets near Baltic skies. Last August, a U. S. drone faced signal jamming issues. NATO and Russia haven't commented on this recent surveillance increase. In January, NATO started "Baltic Sentry, " a mission to protect power cables and data links in the Baltic Sea. Six crewed aircraft were sent for intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) missions. A U. S. Air Force RC-135V flew an 11-hour sortie, covering the borders of Belarus and Russia. Britain and France also sent their planes. Sweden, now part of NATO, used its signals intelligence aircraft to monitor Russia's border with Finland. A NATO E-3A Sentry patrolled the airspace above Poland and Estonia. Experts suggest using Finland and Sweden's membership to boost air power in the region.Some researchers think that recent cable cuts in the Baltic Sea could be part of a bigger strategy to disrupt infrastructure. This raises questions about maritime security and the complex relationships between China, Russia, and European nations. It also makes low-threshold conflicts more likely. NATO's General Christopher Cavoli said "Baltic Sentry" shows the alliance's quick response to instability and its unity. Now, NATO is considering a new ISR site in Finland, close to Russia's border, which could worry the Kremlin.