Baltic Sea undersea 'sabotage' sets stage for escalating NATO-Russia contest

A spate of alleged sabotage incidents in the Baltic Sea has raised the prospect of a dangerous 2025 in NATO 's northern theater.

Allied leaders vowing closer surveillance of and tougher action against Russian- and Chinese -linked ships accused of nefarious efforts.

NATO accuses Moscow of using tankers and other vessels to evade sanctions campaign on its fossil fuel exports prompted by the Kremlin 's 2022 invasion of Ukraine .

NATO tracking efforts complicated by "the sheer scale of the global commercial shipping sector".

NATO ships will still be limited in what action they can take to stop damage occurring.

The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea does note that freedom of navigation may be challenged if a ship's passage "is prejudicial to the peace, good order or security" of coastal states.

Historic agreements -- like the 1884 Convention for the Protection of Submarine Telegraph Cables -- might also offer allies some latitude to act against suspect vessels.

The Baltic is already an important theater in the wider showdown between Russia and the West .

A more militarized approach, he added, may also unsettle the non-Russian nationals crewing the vessels. "Whether the people on those ships want to take the risk, even if the Russians are offering escorts and convoys, is another factor," Kashaul said. ABC News' Zoe Magee and Ellie Kaufman contributed to this report..