NATO is increasing its surveillance operations in the Baltic Sea region with two ships deployed to the area following suspected sabotage of undersea cables between Finland and Estonia.

NATO is sending two ships to monitor critical undersea infrastructure and Russia's "shadow fleet" in the Baltic Sea following recent undersea cable cuts, Finland's foreign minister said Friday. The Estlink 2 submarine cable,

Nato's presence in the Baltic will be "calming and stabilising", according to Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen (NCP).

NATO said on Friday it would boost its presence in the Baltic Sea after the suspected sabotage this week of an undersea power cable and four internet lines, while alliance member Estonia launched a naval operation to guard a parallel electricity link.

A fleet of up to 10 NATO vessels will guard the infrastructure under the Baltic Sea until April, the Finnish broadcaster YLE reported on Jan. 7 after several cables were cut in suspected sabotage.

NATO ships will start guarding critical locations in the Baltic Sea later this week, Finnish public broadcaster YLE reported on Wednesday.

General Mark Rutte says the military alliance will step up patrols in the Baltic Sea area as Finnish investigators work to establish whether a ship linked to Russia sabotaged undersea cables there this week.

Nations on the Baltic Sea, along with NATO, have stepped up security after a third incident of suspected sabotage to underwater infrastructure in a month.