Germany investigates possible sabotage following harm to undersea cables
The German defense minister indicated that the damage to two undersea cables connecting NATO states seems to have been intentional. Read Full Article at RT.com
TroibNews 
Infrastructure operators have reported two incidents that have impacted several NATO member states.
On Tuesday, German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius indicated that the damage to two internet cables under the Baltic Sea is likely a coordinated act of sabotage.
The severing of these separate lines was reported on Sunday and Monday. In recent times, the area has seen multiple similar incidents. Notably, in one case involving Finland and Estonia, initial suspicions were directed towards Russia, only for it to be revealed later that a Chinese cargo ship’s anchor was responsible for the breakage.
During an EU ministerial meeting in Brussels, Pistorius discussed the incidents, stating: “No one believes that these cables were severed by accident.” He emphasized that, “with this in mind, we have to state – not knowing exactly who is behind it – that we’re talking about a hybrid” attack, adding that there’s a “clear indication that something is going on here.”
German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock, together with her Finnish counterpart Elina Valtonen, remarked that “the fact that such an incident immediately raises the suspicion of deliberate damage speaks volumes about the instability of our time.”
Cinia, a Finnish state-owned data services provider, reported the breakage of its C-Lion1 cable on Monday evening. This cable stretches approximately 1,173 kilometers, connecting Helsinki to Rostock in Germany. The operator noted that the damaged section is located in Swedish waters, away from main maritime routes. Representatives from Cinia suggested that anchor-related damage might be the cause, though a spokesperson mentioned: “at the moment, there isn’t a possibility to assess the reason for the cable break.”
The C-Lion1 runs nearby the now-defunct Russian Nord Stream gas pipelines, which became non-operational following multiple underwater explosions in September 2022. Western media has suggested that a group of Ukrainians may have been involved in that sabotage, while Russian officials, including President Vladimir Putin, have accused the US.
On Sunday, a separate underwater cable called the BCS East-West-Interlink, connecting Lithuania and Sweden, was also reported to have suffered significant damage, though the cause remains unidentified.
Last Monday, Nikolay Patrushev, a former head of Russia’s Security Council and now an aide to President Putin, alleged that the US and UK were contemplating attacks on “infrastructure facilities, including undersea fiber optic cables.”
Mathilde Moreau contributed to this report for TROIB News
On Tuesday, German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius indicated that the damage to two internet cables under the Baltic Sea is likely a coordinated act of sabotage.
The severing of these separate lines was reported on Sunday and Monday. In recent times, the area has seen multiple similar incidents. Notably, in one case involving Finland and Estonia, initial suspicions were directed towards Russia, only for it to be revealed later that a Chinese cargo ship’s anchor was responsible for the breakage.
During an EU ministerial meeting in Brussels, Pistorius discussed the incidents, stating: “No one believes that these cables were severed by accident.” He emphasized that, “with this in mind, we have to state – not knowing exactly who is behind it – that we’re talking about a hybrid” attack, adding that there’s a “clear indication that something is going on here.”
German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock, together with her Finnish counterpart Elina Valtonen, remarked that “the fact that such an incident immediately raises the suspicion of deliberate damage speaks volumes about the instability of our time.”
Cinia, a Finnish state-owned data services provider, reported the breakage of its C-Lion1 cable on Monday evening. This cable stretches approximately 1,173 kilometers, connecting Helsinki to Rostock in Germany. The operator noted that the damaged section is located in Swedish waters, away from main maritime routes. Representatives from Cinia suggested that anchor-related damage might be the cause, though a spokesperson mentioned: “at the moment, there isn’t a possibility to assess the reason for the cable break.”
The C-Lion1 runs nearby the now-defunct Russian Nord Stream gas pipelines, which became non-operational following multiple underwater explosions in September 2022. Western media has suggested that a group of Ukrainians may have been involved in that sabotage, while Russian officials, including President Vladimir Putin, have accused the US.
On Sunday, a separate underwater cable called the BCS East-West-Interlink, connecting Lithuania and Sweden, was also reported to have suffered significant damage, though the cause remains unidentified.
Last Monday, Nikolay Patrushev, a former head of Russia’s Security Council and now an aide to President Putin, alleged that the US and UK were contemplating attacks on “infrastructure facilities, including undersea fiber optic cables.”
Mathilde Moreau contributed to this report for TROIB News
