The Baltic Sea’s bad actors

The Baltic Sea, once considered a peaceful “NATO lake,” now faces heightened tension fueled by Russia and China, Foreign Policy reports.

• AIS spoofing—manipulating ship locations on radar—has been a significant problem since 2017. This practice has accelerated in the Baltic, where Russia’s shadow fleet engages in covert oil trade.
• Both GPS interference and AIS spoofing risk causing ship collisions in congested waters, which could lead to loss of life and environmental harm. The disruption of navigation systems also creates delays and complicates the safe management of maritime traffic – especially in areas like the Danish straits, where dense ship traffic is common.
• NATO countries can’t easily retaliate against these electronic disturbances, so there’s a possibility that the practice may spread to countries like China and Iran. This growing trend threatens to undermine global maritime security and the international order, raising concerns about safety in the shipping industry.