Swedish and Finnish authorities are investigating a suspected act of sabotage on an undersea telecoms cable in the Baltic Sea. Sweden's coast guard has dispatched a vessel to the area where multiple seabed cables have recently been damaged.
The incidents in the Baltic Sea region, attributed to civilian ships dragging their anchors, have raised concerns following Russia's invasion in 2022, affecting power cables and gas pipelines.
The Finnish operator Cinia reported issues with its C-Lion1 fibre-optic link connecting Finland and Germany. The damaged cable was identified this week, despite data traffic continuing.
Both Finnish and Swedish police are investigating the matter, with no suspects identified yet. European Commission has pledged to enhance monitoring of undersea cables, aiming to establish a Baltic Sea hub for early incident detection.
The recent sabotage is the third time Cinia's C-Lion1 cable has been damaged, with the company confirming it is back in operation after previous breaches. Authorities in Sweden and Finland are actively engaged in the investigations.
The Swedish coast guard and Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson are closely monitoring the situation, emphasizing the critical importance of undersea infrastructure amidst current security challenges.