Russia may have reached the limits of its peacetime military capabilities in the Baltic Sea, the statement was made by the commander of the Finnish Navy, Rear Admiral Tuomas Tiilikainen, in an interview with British television Sky, where he assessed the security situation in the region as tense but still stable.
According to Tiilikainen, Russian naval forces are constantly monitoring the activities of NATO and allied countries in the Baltic Sea, while the Finnish side is also closely following Moscow's every move.
The Finnish Navy conducted surveillance operations in the Baltic Sea in cooperation with the US Marine Corps during October and November. The aim of these operations is to identify and deter hostile Russian actions in this strategic area.
However, the Finnish commander emphasizes that, despite the tensions, there is no reason to further escalate the situation. On the contrary, according to him, countries in the region should try to reduce tensions and avoid any actions that could lead to a confrontation.
He explained that the current stability could be linked to the fact that Russia does not see the need to increase its military presence or readiness in the region. But, according to another possible scenario, Moscow may have already reached the limits of the capabilities it can deploy in the Baltic Sea in peacetime.
Attention to the region has increased significantly after repeated damage to underwater infrastructure, especially telecommunications and energy cables. In January last year, NATO member states launched Operation Baltic Sentry, increasing patrols by ships and aircraft to protect critical infrastructure in the Baltic Sea. The operation was launched after damage to underwater cables in the Gulf of Finland in December 2024, for which the main suspicions were directed at Russia.
Meanwhile, last week, the Helsinki Court sentenced to prison the captain and a crew member of the merchant ship “Fitburg”, which on December 31, 2025 damaged a submarine cable in the Gulf of Finland. The two convicts were found guilty of serious property damage and were also ordered to pay nearly two million euros in damages.
The commander of the Finnish Navy has announced that since the incident with the ship "Fitburg" there have been no other attacks on Finnish underwater infrastructure. He believes that the measures taken by NATO have had an impact on preventing new incidents.
However, according to him, one of the biggest dangers in the Baltic Sea remains the activity of the so-called Russian ghost fleet, especially old oil tankers, which often operate with unprofessional crews.
Tiilikainen warns that a potential accident with these ships, for example if a tanker were to run aground, could cause a serious environmental disaster in the region.
