Two underwater fibre-optic cables linking Finland and Germany were found severed on Monday, an incident both nations are investigating. German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius has confirmed the damage was deliberate, stating, “No one believes that these cables were accidentally cut.” Speaking at an EU defence ministers’ meeting in Brussels, he suggested sabotage was likely but acknowledged that neither Germany nor Finland knows who is responsible.
In a joint statement, the two countries emphasized the incident’s context within a period of heightened European security threats, citing Russia’s aggression in Ukraine and the risks of hybrid warfare from malicious actors. Pistorius noted the likelihood of such actors being involved, hinting at Russia’s potential role, a nation often linked to hybrid tactics.
Finnish Defence Minister Antti Häkkänen echoed the concerns, calling for enhanced protection of critical infrastructure. “The fact that such an incident immediately raises suspicions of intentional damage speaks volumes about the volatility of our times,” the joint statement read.
The severed cable, running nearly 1,200 kilometers between Helsinki and Rostock, was identified by Finnish data provider Cinia on Monday. This incident follows another disruption to Baltic Sea infrastructure: on Sunday, a 218-kilometer internet link between Lithuania and the Swedish island of Gotland lost service.
The Baltic Sea has seen similar incidents in the past, notably the 2022 explosions of the Nord Stream gas pipelines, which sparked global speculation about potential perpetrators, with unconfirmed theories pointing to the US, Ukraine, or Russia. These recent events highlight ongoing vulnerabilities in Europe’s underwater infrastructure.
