Finnish authorities conducted a live boarding and search drill on a vessel in the Baltic Sea, reflecting heightened security around undersea infrastructure after recent sabotage incidents.⁣ ⁣ Concerns over damaged power cables, telecom lines, and gas pipelines have escalated since Russia's 2022 attack on Ukraine. During the exercise, masked coast guard, police, and military personnel fast-roped from a helicopter, secured the crew, and searched the ship.⁣ ⁣ Drill leader Coast Guard Commander Ilja Iljin called the operation "the new normal," identifying sudden speed or course changes near undersea cables as suspicious behavior. Finland has improved its response capability, taking control of a recent suspect vessel within hours compared to an earlier ship that escaped.⁣ ⁣ #maritime #military #balticsea