Critical Internet Cable Linking NATO Countries Severed
A Swedish minister was prompt to allege sabotage; however, it has been confirmed that at least one of the ruptures resulted from an accident. Read Full Article at RT.com.
TroibNews 
A Swedish minister was quick to suggest sabotage, but at least one of the ruptures has been confirmed to have been accidentally caused.
Reports indicate that a fiber-optic cable connecting Sweden and Finland has suffered damage at two separate locations. Finnish police stated on Tuesday that “there is no reason to suspect any criminal activity” in relation to the incident.
Earlier in the day, Swedish Civil Defense Minister Carl-Oskar Bohlin hinted that the damage could be intentional, pointing to the circumstances surrounding the incidents.
However, Finnish telecom provider Elisa later confirmed that construction work was responsible for at least one of the breaches.
On Tuesday, news surfaced about the two cuts, both of which occurred in Finland. The severing of the cable disrupted internet services for thousands of households and businesses in southern Finland.
Global Connect, the line operator, reported that the disruption affected around 6,000 households and 100 businesses. Repair work on one of the breaches was completed overnight, while efforts on the second breach were still in progress.
Swedish media outlets, such as SVT and Aftonbladet, initially reported that Finnish police were investigating the damage as a potential criminal act. However, Finnish authorities later clarified that there was no ongoing investigation into the matter.
“Contrary to media reports, the Finnish police have no ongoing criminal investigation into the damage to the fiber optic cable between Finland and Sweden,” a spokesperson stated.
Despite this clarification, Bohlin emphasized the possibility of sabotage, commenting, “due to the circumstances surrounding what happened, sabotage is suspected.”
Jaakko Wallenius, safety director at Elisa, confirmed to Helsingin Sanomat that an excavator during construction work caused one of the ruptures. He noted that the incident was reported immediately and deemed a “very ordinary accident.”
Niklas Ekstrom, communications manager at Global Connect, also linked one of the breaks to construction activities, while the cause of the second breach remains under investigation.
This incident is part of a pattern of similar disruptions over the past year, with some incidents in the region raising suspicions of sabotage. In October, two undersea cables connecting Finland, Germany, and Lithuania were damaged in the Baltic Sea, leading German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius to suggest the possibility of deliberate sabotage.
Ramin Sohrabi contributed to this report for TROIB News
Reports indicate that a fiber-optic cable connecting Sweden and Finland has suffered damage at two separate locations. Finnish police stated on Tuesday that “there is no reason to suspect any criminal activity” in relation to the incident.
Earlier in the day, Swedish Civil Defense Minister Carl-Oskar Bohlin hinted that the damage could be intentional, pointing to the circumstances surrounding the incidents.
However, Finnish telecom provider Elisa later confirmed that construction work was responsible for at least one of the breaches.
On Tuesday, news surfaced about the two cuts, both of which occurred in Finland. The severing of the cable disrupted internet services for thousands of households and businesses in southern Finland.
Global Connect, the line operator, reported that the disruption affected around 6,000 households and 100 businesses. Repair work on one of the breaches was completed overnight, while efforts on the second breach were still in progress.
Swedish media outlets, such as SVT and Aftonbladet, initially reported that Finnish police were investigating the damage as a potential criminal act. However, Finnish authorities later clarified that there was no ongoing investigation into the matter.
“Contrary to media reports, the Finnish police have no ongoing criminal investigation into the damage to the fiber optic cable between Finland and Sweden,” a spokesperson stated.
Despite this clarification, Bohlin emphasized the possibility of sabotage, commenting, “due to the circumstances surrounding what happened, sabotage is suspected.”
Jaakko Wallenius, safety director at Elisa, confirmed to Helsingin Sanomat that an excavator during construction work caused one of the ruptures. He noted that the incident was reported immediately and deemed a “very ordinary accident.”
Niklas Ekstrom, communications manager at Global Connect, also linked one of the breaks to construction activities, while the cause of the second breach remains under investigation.
This incident is part of a pattern of similar disruptions over the past year, with some incidents in the region raising suspicions of sabotage. In October, two undersea cables connecting Finland, Germany, and Lithuania were damaged in the Baltic Sea, leading German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius to suggest the possibility of deliberate sabotage.
Ramin Sohrabi contributed to this report for TROIB News
