Two undersea fiber-optic cables in the Baltic Sea have been abruptly severed, prompting fears of sabotage amid heightened tensions in the region. The incidents involve a communications cable connecting Lithuania and Sweden, which was cut on Sunday morning, and another cable linking Finland and Germany, known as the C-Lion cable.
According to Telia Lithuania, the disruption in internet traffic was due to physical damage to the cable, not equipment failure. The C-Lion cable, spanning approximately 1,200 kilometers, is crucial for internet connectivity between Finland and Central Europe. The Finnish state-controlled company Cinia confirmed that the cable experienced an outage early Monday, with indications suggesting external interference.
In a joint statement, the foreign ministers of Finland and Germany expressed deep concern over the incidents, hinting at the possibility of hybrid warfare. They emphasized the importance of safeguarding critical infrastructure amidst growing threats from malicious actors, particularly in light of Russia's ongoing military activities in the region.
The recent severing of these cables follows previous incidents that raised alarms about potential sabotage in the Baltic Sea, including damage to gas pipelines and undersea cables. Investigations are underway to determine the cause of the outages, with repair efforts expected to take between five to fifteen days.