Estonian naval ships are taking part in stepped-up patrols in the Baltic Sea by NATO countries after undersea power and communications cables have been damaged in recent months

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

NATO announced a new mission on Tuesday to better protect critical undersea infrastructure in the Baltic Sea, like energy and communication cables, with significantly more ships, aircraft and drones.

The Swedish military will also contribute one of its ASC 890 surveillance aircraft, made by Saab, and the country's coast guard will deploy four ships.