Poland asks EU to impose sanctions on captains who damage Baltic cables
Poland has proposed that the EU impose sanctions on captains who damage critical underwater infrastructure in the Baltic Sea.
Since Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, a series of disruptions to communications cables, power lines and gas pipelines in the region have raised concerns about potential sabotage.
Poland, which currently holds the rotating presidency of the European Union, wants to include the proposal in the EU’s 16th round of sanctions against Russia, Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski said.
The plan aims to prevent future ships from pulling on moorings to damage critical underwater infrastructure.
Authorities have expressed concern about the ships, which are often registered in tax havens but have insufficient or ineffective insurance.
Sikorski pointed out that these ships take advantage of international maritime law and can sail with impunity in international waters.
Since anchoring on the high seas is not a crime under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, authorities cannot stop or search these ships even if they cause damage.
In response to the growing threat, NATO has stepped up its presence in the Baltic region, deploying frigates, naval aircraft and drones to monitor suspicious activities.
Polish officials also stressed that intelligence reports showed that Russian warships and spy ships were actively mapping underwater infrastructure in the Baltic and North Seas, raising concerns about the possibility of large-scale sabotage in the future.
Poland called on EU authorities to impose sanctions on captains and crews involved in such activities to prevent such incidents from happening again in the future.
Sikorski said authorities could obtain detailed information on crew members through port entry records and suggested that those responsible for causing damage and failing to report or explain their actions be included in the EU sanctions list.
