Germany is investigating the suspected sabotage of two undersea internet cables in the Baltic Sea, which connect NATO member nations.
German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius indicated on Tuesday that these incidents seem to be coordinated attacks rather than accidents. The disruptions were reported on Sunday and Monday, adding to a series of similar events in the region over the past year. In one prior case, suspicions initially pointed to Russia but were later attributed to damage caused by a Chinese cargo ship’s anchor.
Addressing reporters in Brussels, Pistorius stated, “No one believes that these cables were severed by accident.” He described the events as a likely hybrid attack, though the culprits remain unidentified, adding, “There’s a clear indication that something is going on here.”
German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock echoed these concerns, joined by Finnish counterpart Elina Valtonen. Baerbock noted, “The fact that such an incident immediately raises the suspicion of deliberate damage speaks volumes about the instability of our time.”
One of the affected cables, the C-Lion1, connects Helsinki and Rostock and spans over 1,170 kilometers (729 miles). Finnish data provider Cinia, which operates the cable, said the break occurred in Swedish waters, away from busy shipping lanes. Although anchor damage is suspected, Cinia emphasized that the cause remains unclear, with a spokesperson stating, “At the moment, there isn’t a possibility to assess the reason for the cable break.”
The C-Lion1 runs near the Russian Nord Stream pipelines, which were damaged by explosions in 2022. Western media blamed a pro-Ukrainian group for the sabotage, but Russian officials, including President Vladimir Putin, accused the U.S. of involvement.
Additionally, on Sunday, Lithuania’s BCS East-West-Interlink cable to Sweden was reported as severely damaged. The exact cause has not been determined. Meanwhile, Nikolay Patrushev, a Russian official, recently claimed that the U.S. and U.K. might target undersea fiber optic cables and other infrastructure facilities.
These incidents underscore growing concerns about the vulnerability of critical infrastructure in an increasingly volatile geopolitical climate.
