According to a report by Finnish public broadcaster Yle, NATO plans to strengthen its military presence in the Baltic Sea by deploying ships to protect underwater infrastructure. The operation is set to commence at the end of the week.

The decision follows a spate of suspected sabotage incidents on underwater cables.

Finnish police said on Tuesday they had recovered a lost anchor from the seabed as part of an investigation of suspected sabotage against power and internet cables in the Baltic Sea.

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.

The anchor of the Eagle S oil tanker has been recovered from the bed of the Baltic Sea during an inquiry into the ship's possible involvement in sabotage of maritime energy and communication cables. The EU says the tanker belongs to the so-called Russian shadow fleet.

Two undersea telecommunications cables that were damaged in the Baltic Sea on Dec. 25 appeared to have been torn apart by a strong external force, Finland's Elisa said on Monday, adding that they had now been repaired.

Finnish authorities have found and retrieved the anchor of the Eagle S tanker, suspected of damaging cables in the Baltic Sea. Investigators will begin inspecting it on Tuesday. Finnish radio Yle reported that the tanker Eagle S's anchor was located at the bottom of the Gulf of Finland and brought to the surface.

Finland's Elisa said on Monday that it had finished the repair of its two undersea telecommunications cables that were damaged in the Baltic Sea on Dec. 25. Finland on Dec. 26 seized the Eagle S tanke