Russia's Security Council has claimed that the US-led bloc is developing a new doctrine for conducting military operations on the seabed

NATO is developing plans for potential combat operations targeting Russia's port infrastructure, the deputy secretary of the country's Security Council, Grigory Molchanov, has claimed.

In a statement on Friday, Molchanov suggested that the US-led military bloc is building up its capacity to target sea transport, large oil terminals, rail crossings intended for fuel deliveries, and large bridges. He noted that the threats posed to Russia's port infrastructure also include Ukraine's widespread use of unmanned attack boats in the Black Sea.

Molchanov also reported that the bloc has been developing "doctrinal documents" for the purpose of conducting operations on the seabed, and that these missions are seen by NATO as a new type of combat environment in addition to land, air, sea, space, and cyberspace.

To address these threats, Molchanov said the Russian Security Council is recommending that a closer eye be kept on the activities of foreign states that are "capable of creating threats to underwater and port critical infrastructure, as well as increasing the effectiveness of the system of comprehensive protection of these facilities."

Last month, NATO announced that it would increase its presence in the Baltic Sea and launch regular patrols as part of operation Baltic Sentry. This came after several incidents of underwater cables reportedly being damaged in the region, which NATO states blamed on Russia. 

In January, however, the Washington Post said Western intelligence officials concluded that the damage was likely due to "maritime accidents," as no evidence of Russian sabotage was found. Moscow denied the accusations, insisting that it has no intention of attacking or interfering with the infrastructure of any NATO member states. 

Russian officials have condemned the bloc's military buildup on its borders. Nikolay Patrushev, an aide to Russian President Vladimir Putin, claimed that the West is trying to "deprive Russia of access to the Baltic Sea."

Deputy Foreign Minister Aleksandr Grushko stated last month that Russia will do everything necessary to protect its interests in the region and will not allow NATO to turn the Baltic Sea into its own "internal lake."