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In a series of concerning developments across European waters, two critical undersea data cables have been mysteriously damaged, sparking fears of deliberate sabotage. The incidents, occurring on consecutive days, affected connections between Finland-Germany and Lithuania-Sweden.
The Finnish cable operator Cinia Oy confirmed that their 1,200-kilometer high-speed fiber optic Helsinki-Rostock link suffered complete disruption of all fiber connections in the Baltic Sea. Nearly simultaneously, Lithuania’s primary communications provider, Telia Lietuva AB, reported damage to their Swedish connection, with both cables remarkably located within 10 meters of each other.
BREAKING:
Another submarine telecom cable has been cut in the Baltic Sea.
This time it’s a cable between Sweden and Lithuania.
Yesterday, the news broke that a cable between Finland and Germany had been cut. pic.twitter.com/Hh5QbZq6LL
— Visegrád 24 (@visegrad24) November 19, 2024
“We can say that such damage doesn’t happen without some kind of external impact,” stated Cinia Chief Executive, Ari-Jussi Knaapila.
The German and Finnish foreign ministries expressed their alarm in a joint statement: “We are deeply concerned about the severed undersea cable connecting Finland and Germany in the Baltic Sea.”
European officials have been quick to point fingers at Russia, with several nations’ representatives voicing their suspicions. Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski warned: “If Russia does not stop committing acts of sabotage in Europe, Warsaw will close the rest of its consulates in Poland.”
German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius added: “No one believes that these cables were cut accidentally. We also have to assume, without knowing it yet, that it is sabotage.”
Dutch Defence Minister Ruben Brekelmans echoed these concerns: “We see increasing activity of especially Russia on our seas, aimed at espionage and possibly even sabotage of our vital infrastructure.”
The investigation has taken an interesting turn as Swedish authorities are also examining the potential involvement of a Chinese vessel, the Yi Peng 3, which was reportedly in the vicinity during the incidents.
🚨BREAKING: German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said "nobody believes" that two broken telecommunications cables in the Baltic Sea were "accidentally cut."
Full story: https://t.co/kXteOi9Xby pic.twitter.com/sS86hgsmA5
— POLITICOEurope (@POLITICOEurope) November 19, 2024
Adding another layer of complexity, the sabotage coincided with NATO’s Freezing Winds 24 exercise, occurring in southern Finland and the Northern Baltic Sea. Notably, the damaged Finnish-German cable follows a similar route to Nord Stream, separated by just hundreds of meters.
“‘Moscow’s escalating hybrid activities against NATO and EU countries are also unprecedented in their variety and scale, creating significant security risks’, the foreign ministers of France, Germany, Italy, Poland and Britain said in a statement.”
