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Two important undersea communication cables in the Baltic Sea were cut recently, and it looks like it was done on purpose. One cable connects Finland and Germany, and the other connects Lithuania and Sweden's Gotland Island. The incidents happened just days apart, with the Finland-Germany cable being cut early Monday and the Lithuania-Sweden cable seemingly today.
German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius said it appears to be an act of sabotage, possibly linked to tensions with Russia. Both Germany and Finland are worried that these attacks could be part of a larger strategy called "hybrid warfare," where countries use non-traditional methods, like cutting cables, to cause harm.
One of the cables, the C-Lion1 line, is operated by a Finnish company, Cinia, which said the break couldn't have happened by accident. The damage could take up to two weeks to repair. The other cable, between Lithuania and Sweden, is also expected to take a couple of weeks to fix.
While cable damage happens occasionally, this is particularly suspicious because of the timing. Experts say these events raise big concerns about the security of Europe's undersea infrastructure, which carries crucial internet and communications traffic. The attacks come after other incidents in the region, like the explosion of the Nord Stream gas pipeline, adding to fears about ongoing threats to European security.
BREAKING:
— Visegrád 24 (@visegrad24) November 19, 2024
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
[With information from BBC and VISEGRAD]
