Baltic security enters a new era. ORKAN26 and the CBSS summit signal a strategic shift across the region

Late May brought an unprecedented concentration of political and security activity to Poland’s Baltic coast. While foreign ministers gathered in Sopot for the 23rd Ministerial Session of the Council of the Baltic Sea States, special operations forces conducted ORKAN26, a large-scale maritime security exercise in the Port of Gdynia involving military special forces, naval assets, air support and civilian ferry infrastructure. Together, the two events offered perhaps the clearest indication yet that the Baltic Sea region is transitioning into a new phase of long-term hybrid security competition.

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01 june 2026   |   08:53   |   Source: Gazeta Morska   |   Prepared by: Kamil Kusier   |   Print

fot. Port Gdynia

The 23rd Ministerial Session of the Council of the Baltic Sea States took place on 28–29 May under the Polish presidency of the organization. Ministers adopted the Sopot Declaration focused on regional security, support for Ukraine and coordinated responses to hybrid threats.

The tone of the summit reflected a profound shift in how Baltic governments now perceive the regional security environment. Discussions centered not on traditional regional cooperation frameworks, but on: critical infrastructure protection, maritime resilience, hybrid warfare, satellite navigation interference, sabotage and counter-sabotage capabilities, and the security implications of Russia’s so-called "shadow fleet".

Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski used unusually strong language during the session, openly describing certain Russian activities as acts of terrorism. He referred to attacks on railway infrastructure, attempted placement of explosive devices aboard aircraft and large-scale GPS interference affecting both military and civilian operations across the region.

Particular attention was paid to the growing threat posed by aging tankers operating within Russia’s sanctions-evasion network. According to figures cited during the meeting, more than 630 vessels have now been sanctioned. Baltic governments increasingly view these ships not merely as instruments of sanctions circumvention, but as potential environmental hazards and tools of hybrid pressure.

The issue is especially relevant for the Baltic Sea, where dense shipping traffic, offshore infrastructure and sensitive ecosystems create conditions in which a major maritime incident could rapidly become both an environmental and geopolitical crisis.

Ukraine integrated into Baltic security thinking

Another important conclusion from the Sopot meeting was the increasingly visible integration of Ukraine into Baltic regional security architecture. Although Ukraine remains an observer within the CBSS framework, ministers repeatedly emphasized that deeper cooperation with Kyiv is becoming a strategic necessity for the region.

This reflects a broader geopolitical transformation following Finland and Sweden’s accession to NATO. The Baltic Sea is no longer viewed simply as a commercial maritime basin, but increasingly as a strategic security zone linking NATO’s northern and eastern flanks.

ORKAN26: maritime security beyond conventional warfare

While ministers debated security policy in Sopot, a practical demonstration of regional readiness unfolded simultaneously in the Port of Gdynia.

ORKAN26, organized by Poland’s Special Operations Component Command, served as a large-scale demonstration of maritime counter-hybrid capabilities. The exercise involved: special forces operators from Formoza and GROM, naval units, Black Hawk helicopters, F-16 fighter aircraft, electronic warfare elements, cyber-response components and civilian port infrastructure.

The central scenario involved the ferry Stena Estelle, operated by Stena Line. According to the exercise scenario, terrorists posing as ill crew members seized control of the vessel before Polish special forces conducted a coordinated boarding and hostage-rescue operation.

The exercise was observed by ministers attending the CBSS session, underlining its political significance as much as its operational value.

Formoza and the protection of Baltic infrastructure

The prominent role of Poland’s naval special operations unit Formoza highlighted another strategic trend shaping Baltic security policy: the growing importance of underwater and offshore infrastructure protection.

Formoza specializes in: maritime special operations, offshore infrastructure protection, combat diving, counter-sabotage missions and vessel interdiction.

This capability has become increasingly relevant following a series of incidents involving damaged subsea cables and other critical infrastructure across the Baltic region over recent years.

Today, Baltic security planning extends far beyond conventional naval warfare. Governments and operators must also consider: subsea power interconnectors, telecommunications cables, LNG terminals, offshore wind farms, ports and logistics hubs and energy transport corridors.

In this context, ORKAN26 was less a public military demonstration and more a realistic rehearsal for operating in a grey-zone security environment.

Civilian operators become part of the security architecture

One of the most significant aspects of ORKAN26 was the active involvement of the private sector. Stena Line provided both the vessel and terminal infrastructure used during the exercise, effectively becoming a participant in the broader regional security framework.

This reflects an increasingly important reality for the maritime industry: ferry operators, terminal operators and logistics companies are now viewed as integral components of national resilience systems.

The Gdynia - Karlskrona ferry connection forms part of the TEN-T transport corridor linking Central Europe with Scandinavia and may carry strategic logistical importance during future regional crises.

For maritime operators, the implications are substantial. Security requirements across the Baltic are likely to expand in areas such as: port resilience, cyber protection, emergency response integration, infrastructure hardening and military-civilian interoperability.

TTX ORKAN26: preparing for hybrid escalation

Alongside the live operational component, ORKAN26 also included a TTX (Table Top Exercise) element focused on crisis coordination and decision-making processes.

Such exercises are increasingly regarded as critical because hybrid threats typically unfold across multiple domains simultaneously: cyberattacks, GPS disruption, sabotage, environmental incidents, disinformation and covert maritime operations.

TTX scenarios likely included: subsea cable damage, maritime sabotage, port cyberattacks, environmental contamination events and coordinated hybrid escalation targeting transport infrastructure.

The objective is not only tactical readiness, but also improving coordination between: military forces, intelligence services, civilian administration, infrastructure operators and international partners.

A new operating environment for the Baltic maritime sector

The events in Sopot and Gdynia demonstrated that the Baltic Sea has entered a fundamentally different strategic era.

For the maritime sector, this means security considerations are no longer secondary operational concerns. They are rapidly becoming core elements of business continuity, infrastructure planning and regional cooperation.

Ports, ferry operators, offshore energy companies and logistics providers are increasingly expected to operate as part of a broader resilience ecosystem designed to function under conditions of persistent hybrid pressure.

The message emerging from both the CBSS summit and ORKAN26 was clear: Baltic states are preparing not for a temporary period of instability, but for a long-term environment in which hybrid threats, infrastructure protection and maritime resilience will define regional security policy for years to come.

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