by Admin
Feb 21, 2025
Swedish authorities are probing a suspected act of sabotage involving an undersea telecommunications cable that connects Germany to Finland in the Baltic Sea.
This investigation comes amid a series of recent incidents that have damaged multiple undersea cables and gas pipelines since Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022 a development that prompted NATO to launch a monitoring mission in the region last month.
The Swedish Coast Guard has dispatched a research vessel toward the eastern vicinity of Gotland, the nation’s largest island and the reported location of the latest breach.
Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson acknowledged the incident, stating that the cable break “must be seen in the context of the current serious security situation.”
Finnish telecom operator Cinia, the owner of the cable, reported detecting minor damage to its fiber-optic line, though the cable continues to function normally.
Cinia also noted that this marks the third instance of damage to the cable in recent months, with the previous severing occurring in November of last year.
While there has been an overall increase in damage to Baltic undersea infrastructure, some incidents have been attributed to civilian ships dragging their anchors across the cables.
Swedish police have confirmed that the preliminary investigation is focused on suspected sabotage, although the coastguard has not yet determined the exact damage time.
“We have a ship called KBV 003 on its way to the area east of Gotland. It is in the Swedish economic zone, and we are assisting with the crime scene investigation,” a coastguard representative explained.
European leaders have speculated about potential Russian involvement in these breaches, even as other incidents have been linked to adverse weather, faulty equipment, or human error.
In one case, a Bulgarian ship named the Vezhen was cleared of sabotage earlier this month by Swedish authorities.