---
title: "Finland Drills Ship Seizure in the Baltic: Coast Guard Calls Such Exercises a 'New Normal'"
description: "Finland conducted the MARSEC EU 26 exercises in the Baltic Sea, practicing the seizure and search of a vessel to protect underwater infrastructure. The command called such training a 'new normal.'"
date: 2026-09-17T23:10:01.000Z
lang: en
url: https://xab.info/en/posts/finland-drills-ship-seizure-baltic-marsec-eu-26
tags: [finland, baltic-sea, marsec-eu-26, undersea-cables, naval-exercises, hybrid-threats]
publisher: "XAB.info"
---

# Finland Drills Ship Seizure in the Baltic: Coast Guard Calls Such Exercises a 'New Normal'

![Finnish coast guard warships and a helicopter during ship-seizure drills in the Baltic Sea](https://xab.info/media/2026/09/19/finlandiya-ucheniya-marsec-eu-26-baltika-zahvat-sudna/finlandiya-ucheniya-marsec-eu-26-baltika-zahvat-sudna-1.webp)

## 🎯 Key Points

- Finland held the practical phase of the MARSEC EU 26 exercises on September 15–17, including the seizure and search of a vessel.
- Coast guard, police, and armed forces personnel deployed from a helicopter onto the vessel and took control of the crew.
- Coast Guard Commander Ilja Ilyin called such exercises a 'new normal' against the backdrop of incidents involving underwater infrastructure.
- Russia's involvement in the Baltic incidents has not been proven; Moscow denies any involvement.

Finland carried out comprehensive exercises in the Baltic Sea during which coast guard, police, and armed forces personnel practiced seizing and searching a vessel. The aim of the training was to test the state's readiness to respond to possible damage to critical underwater infrastructure and to suspicious activity in the waters. According to the outlet, during the practical phase, personnel deployed from a helicopter onto the vessel, took control of the crew, and conducted a search of the compartments.

### How the MARSEC EU 26 Exercises Were Conducted

The practical phase of the MARSEC EU 26 exercises took place in Finland on September 15–17. It focused on responding to an incident involving a suspicious vessel near underwater infrastructure, including boarding, searching, and securing control of the ship. The Finnish Border Guard organized the event together with other EU countries and bodies. The main emphasis was placed on protecting undersea cables and pipelines, as well as responding to potential hybrid threats.

### A 'New Normal' for Finnish Security Forces

Coast Guard Commander Ilja Ilyin stated that such exercises reflect a 'new normal' for Finland. According to him, over the past two to three years several incidents involving damage to critical underwater infrastructure have occurred in the Baltic Sea, and the country must be prepared for the possibility that the next incident could happen at any moment. Finnish security officials noted that suspicion could be raised, in particular, by a sudden change in a vessel's speed or course while passing over undersea cables.

### Strengthening Border Control

In parallel with the exercises, Finland is working to enhance the border service's capabilities to inspect suspicious vessels and vessels without a state flag, as well as unmanned underwater vehicles. This area is being treated as part of broader preparation for hybrid threats in the Baltic region, where concern has grown in recent years over damage to cables, gas pipelines, and other critical infrastructure.

### Contradictory Data

A contradictory picture persists around the incidents in the Baltic. On the one hand, several regional countries and Finnish authorities link the damage to underwater infrastructure to deliberate sabotage; earlier reports mentioned damage to an undersea fiber-optic cable in Latvia's territorial waters, and a representative of one of the Baltic states stated that Russian military and intelligence services could be planning attacks on infrastructure in Russia, the Baltic states, and Poland using Ukrainian drones. On the other hand, Russia's involvement in all such incidents has not been proven, and Moscow denies any involvement. Thus, public accusations and the absence of confirmed evidentiary links remain parallel but non-overlapping lines of narrative.

In any case, the practical exercises in the Baltic Sea demonstrate that Finnish and European bodies are moving the protection of underwater infrastructure from the realm of hypothetical scenarios into the realm of regular operational training.

## 🔍 Fact-Check Verification

- [Threat of Russian Sabotage Grows in the Baltic Sea: Finland Prepares Security Forces](https://www.rbc.ua/ukr/news/baltiyskomu-mori-zrostae-zagroza-diversiy-1789685988.html) - Источник подтверждает проведение учений, захват/обыск судна, даты 15–17 сентября (MARSEC EU 26) и цитату командующего береговой охраной. Заявления о диверсиях РФ и атаках с дронами переданы как сообщения сторон; доказательная база по причастности отсутствует, Москва отрицает причастность.

## ❓ FAQ

### Q: What exercises did Finland conduct in the Baltic Sea?
**A:** Finland held the practical phase of the MARSEC EU 26 exercises (September 15–17), during which they practiced responding to a suspicious vessel near underwater infrastructure: boarding, searching, and securing control of the ship.

### Q: Who participated in the ship seizure during the exercises?
**A:** Coast guard, police, and armed forces personnel of Finland took part in the exercises; the personnel deployed onto the vessel from a helicopter.

### Q: Why is Finland intensifying its preparation for such incidents?
**A:** According to Coast Guard Commander Ilja Ilyin, over the past two to three years several incidents involving damage to critical underwater infrastructure have occurred in the Baltic, so the country is preparing for possible new cases.

### Q: Has Russia's involvement in the damage to underwater infrastructure been proven?
**A:** No, Russia's involvement in all such incidents has not been proven, and Moscow denies any involvement; public accusations and the lack of evidence remain contradictory lines.