Estonia’s defence minister proposed on Wednesday that shipping companies may have to pay a fee to use the Baltic Sea, one of the world’s busiest shipping routes, to cover the high costs of protecting undersea cables following a series of breaches,

After a series of suspected undersea cable cuttings, NATO has launched a new surveillance and deterrence mission to protect critical infrastructure under the Baltic Sea.

NATO is using sea drones to help defend subsea cables. European officials have accused Russia of sabotaging the cables. The cables carry power and internet data. NATO is deploying sea drones to help monitor and defend subsea cables in the Baltic amid the escalating threat of Russian sabotage.