NATO countries will deploy frigates, patrol aircraft and naval drones in the Baltic Sea to help protect critical infrastructure and reserve the right to take action against ships suspected of posing a security threat,

NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte announced on Tuesday a new mission, dubbed Baltic Sentry, to safeguard undersea cables in the Baltic Sea region.

NATO announced a new mission on Tuesday to better protect critical underwater infrastructure in the Baltic Sea with significantly more ships, aircraft and drones, as concerns about Russian aggression in the region grow.

Russia's military on Tuesday said it would retaliate against Ukraine after Kyiv attacked Russian regions by firing six U.S.-made ATACMS ballistic missiles, six UK-made Storm Shadow cruise missiles and launching one of the biggest drone attacks to date.

The barrage appeared to be one of the largest recent assaults in Ukraine’s campaign to damage Russia’s war machine on its home territory.

Ukrainian air defence and mobile drone hunter groups shot down 58 out of 80 drones launched by Russia in overnight attacks on Tuesday, the air force said in a statement. It said 21 drones disappeared from radars in reference to Kyiv using electronic warfare to redirect them.