Two fiber-optic undersea internet cables connecting Scandinavia to mainland Europe were severed within 24 hours of one another. European officials suspect the cuts are a sign of sabotage.
The cables connected Finland to Germany and Lithuania to Sweden were running under the Baltic Sea. According to CNN, while damage to submarine cables does happen, it is rare.
Finnish and German foreign ministers released a join statement that reads "the fact that such an incident immediately raises suspicions of intentional damage speaks volumes about the volatility of our times.” They added, “Our European security is not only under threat from Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine but also from hybrid warfare by malicious actors.”
China also suspected
Today, a Chinese-flagged cargo shipped dubbed the Yi Peng 3 was provoking interest as the the ship was in the area of both cables around the time they were damaged.
Perhaps a bit too cheekily, the Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis tweeted, "If I had a nickel for every time a Chinese ship was dragging its anchor on the bottom of the Baltic Sea in the vicinity of important cables I would have two nickels, which isn't much, but it's weird that it happened twice."
If I had a nickel for every time a Chinese ship was dragging its anchor on the bottom of the Baltic Sea in the vicinity of important cables I would have two nickels, which isn't much, but it's weird that it happened twice.November 20, 2024
The Yi Peng 3, departed the Russian port of Ust-Luga on November 15, with the suspected cable cutting occuring on November 17. It is supposed to arrive at Egypt's Port Said on December 3rd.
As of this writing that boat is anchored in Danish waters with the Denmark military confirming that they are maintaining a "presence near the vessel." No other details have been released.
In 2023, a fiber optic cable between Finland and Estonia was cut. That incident was blamed on the anchor of a Chinese ship and allegedly also damaged a Russian cable connecting the country to the Kaliningrad enclave, nestled between Lithuania and Poland on the Baltic sea.
At the time, a Finnish minister claimed the damage was done on purpose. "I would think that you would notice that you’re dragging an anchor behind you for hundreds of kilometers," Finland's Minister of European Affairs Anders Adlecreutz said.
Why China might be targeting Nordic countries and telecommunications lines there is mostly up for speculation, hence the more immediate blame being placed on Russia's doorstep.
Disruption
For now, it sounds as though the damaged cables haven't completely altered internet access in Finland or Sweden. Telia Lithuania, which operates the cable connecting Lithuania and Sweden has said that the damaged cable provided nearly a third of the country's internet capacity. That traffic has reportedly been restored. Cinia, which manages the Finland-Germany connection, confirmed a similar status.
Still, NATO allies are working to secure the undersea cables, partially by no longer working with companies that have ties to Russia or China.
Whether or not these cuts were accidental or testing the waters remains to be seen, but it can't be denied that in any war, hybrid or not, disrupting lines of communication is an important factor in gaining the upper hand on opposing forces.
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