Undersea internet cable connecting Germany and Finland destroyed beneath the Baltic Sea, sabotage feared

According to the Finnish state-controlled telecom and cyber security firm Cinia, at around 2:00 GMT on 18th November, the 1,200 km (745-mile) long cable connecting Helsinki to the German port of Rostock stopped functioning.

On 18th November, officials and companies revealed that two undersea fibre-optic communications cables in the Baltic Sea were severed, including a critical link between Germany and Finland. Officials have expressed concerns about sabotage. The incident echoes similar cases from the past, where malicious activity was suspected in the Baltic Sea, including damage to a gas pipeline and undersea cables in 2023, and the 2022 explosions targeting the Nord Stream gas pipelines.

Finland-Germany link disrupted

According to the Finnish state-controlled telecom and cyber security firm Cinia, at around 2:00 GMT on 18th November, the 1,200 km (745-mile) long cable connecting Helsinki to the German port of Rostock stopped functioning.

Meanwhile, Lithuania’s telecom company in the Baltic States, Telia Lietuva, reported that another 218 km (135-mile) internet link between Lithuania and Gotland Island in Sweden went offline at around 8:00 GMT on 17th November. The cable is operated by the Swedish telecom company Arelion, and it carries Telia Lietuva’s internet traffic.

Joint response from Finland and Germany

In a joint statement, Finland and Germany expressed their “deep concern” over the incident and announced investigations into what they described as an event raising “immediate suspicions of intentional damage.” They also highlighted the ongoing threats to Europe’s security posed by the Russia-Ukraine war and hybrid warfare tactics by unnamed malicious actors.

The statement read, “We are deeply concerned about the severed undersea cable connecting Finland and Germany in the Baltic Sea. The fact that such an incident immediately raises suspicions of intentional damage speaks volumes about the volatility of our times. A thorough investigation is underway. Our European security is not only under threat from Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, but also from hybrid warfare by malicious actors. Safeguarding our shared critical infrastructure is vital to our security and the resilience of our societies.”

Swedish minister calls for answers

Underlining the urgency of the situation, Sweden’s civil defence minister, Carl-Oskar Bohlin, said: “It is absolutely central that it is clarified why we currently have two cables in the Baltic Sea that are not working.” According to the CEO of Cinia, Ari-Jussi Knaapila, it will take approximately 5 to 15 days to repair the disruption to the Finland-Germany cable, which occurred near Sweden’s Öland Island.

Past investigations into Baltic Sea incidents

The Baltic Sea is a vital commercial shipping route surrounded by nine countries, including Russia. This is not the first time an incident of severed cables under Baltic Sea has occured. It has experienced similar incidents in the past. Investigators of a 2023 case involving damage to telecom cables and a subsea gas pipeline pointed to a Chinese container ship as the possible culprit. They believed that the ship dragged its anchor, resulting in the damage. However, it remains unclear whether the incident was deliberate or accidental.

Similarly, in 2022, explosions destroyed the Nord Stream gas pipelines that connected Russia and Germany. The investigation into the matter by German authorities is still underway. In February 2023, Pulitzer winner investigative journalist Seymour Hersh alleged that it was the USA Navy that blew up the Nord Stream pipeline.

Sweden distributing 5 million pamphlets urging residents to prepare for potential war

According to a Daily Mail report, Sweden is distributing five million updated pamphlets urging residents to prepare for potential war. Sweden has cited escalated tensions with Russia as the reason.

The pamphlet, titled “If Crisis or War Comes,” advises residents to stockpile essentials and seek shelter in case of a nuclear attack. It also warns of increased military threats and the need for resilience amid the deteriorating global security situation.

The initiative came after Sweden’s NATO membership earlier this year. It reflects heightened security concerns since the Russia-Ukraine war began. Sweden and Finland, previously neutral countries, have ramped up defences in recent times, including conscription, fortified shelters, and increased military spending. Notably, Finland is also building a 125-mile border fence with Russia.

Meanwhile, tensions between Russia and NATO have deepened as the US has granted Ukraine approval to use long-range missiles to strike inside Russia. Reacting to the approval, Moscow labelled it a red line, and pro-Putin experts have warned of nuclear escalation. On 17th November, NATO scrambled jets after a Russian missile targeted infrastructure in Ukraine, prompting emergency power cuts in the region.

Defence officials in Sweden have warned that Russia’s aggression poses direct risks despite its current focus on Ukraine, urging Swedes to be mentally and logistically prepared for war.