Suspected Sabotage of Baltic Cables Fuels Fears of Hybrid Warfare.
In a concerning development, the German Defense Minister, Boris Pistorius, has declared that the damage to two major undersea cables in the Baltic Sea appears to be an act of sabotage and a “hybrid action.” The incidents, which occurred at a time of heightened tension with Russia, have raised alarm bells across Europe.
The incidents involve the severance of a 1,170-kilometer telecommunications cable between Finland and Germany, which was cut in the early hours of Monday, as well as the disruption of a 218-kilometer internet link between Lithuania and Sweden’s Gotland Island, which stopped working on Sunday.
Pistorius stated that “Nobody believes that these cables were cut accidentally,” highlighting the gravity of the situation.
The latest incidents come against the backdrop of a series of attacks on Baltic pipelines, which have heightened fears of sabotage since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
In a chilling reminder, the largest act of sabotage since that invasion took place in the Baltic Sea, with the mysterious explosions that damaged the Nord Stream gas pipelines between Russia and Germany.
Germany and Finland have both expressed “deep concern” over the severing of the C-Lion1 cable, underscoring that Europe’s security is threatened not only by Russia’s war in Ukraine but also by the looming specter of “hybrid warfare by malicious actors.”
The Finnish telecoms and cybersecurity firm Cinia stated that the cable may have been cut “by an outside force,” indicating that the damage was likely intentional.
The damage to the cables is expected to take between 5 to 15 days to repair, according to Cinia’s chief executive. Meanwhile, the company operating the line to Lithuania, Arelion, has not disclosed the exact location of the cut but anticipates a couple of weeks’ worth of repairs.
The Swedish Civil Defense Minister, Carl-Oskar Bohlin, emphasized the urgent need to determine the causes behind the cable failures, stating that it is “absolutely central” to uncover the truth.
