- Anchor Damage Likely Cause of Undersea Power Cable and Internet Outages.
- Power and Internet Infrastructure Severed After Baltic Sea Incident.
- International Allies Offer Support as Finland Investigates Sabotage.
Finnish authorities have seized a tanker in the Baltic Sea suspected of having caused heavy damage to undersea infrastructure including a power cable and internet lines. The seizure comes as a result of an outage of the Estlink 2 power cable linking Finland and Estonia and the destruction of four fibre-optic internet cables, reports Reuters.
Suspected Anchor Damage and Sabotage
“According to our understanding, an anchor of the vessel that is under investigation has caused the damage,” said Robin Lardot, director of the Finnish National Bureau of Investigation. Finnish authorities are treating the incident as “grave sabotage” and have launched a comprehensive investigation.
Effects on Power and Internet Infrastructure
The damage affected two fibre-optic cables linking Finland and Estonia, owned by a Finnish operator, and a third cable owned by a Chinese company. A fourth internet cable between Finland and Germany, managed by a Finnish group, was also believed to be severed. Repairing the damaged 170-km Estlink 2 power cable could take months, raising concerns about power supply during winter, according to Fingrid, the operator.
International Support and Cooperation
“We are coordinating closely with our allies and stand ready to support their investigations,” a U.S. National Security Council spokesperson stated. NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte also expressed readiness to assist, emphasizing the need for stronger protection of undersea infrastructure.
Baltic Sea Nations on High Alert
Baltic Sea countries have been on high alert following a series of outages involving power cables, telecom links, and gas pipelines since 2022. Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna commented, “We must understand that damage to submarine infrastructure has become more systematic and thus must be regarded as attacks against our vital structures.”
EU and NATO Demand for Improved Security
The European Union praised Finnish authorities for swift action. In a joint statement, EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas and the European Commission stressed the need to protect critical infrastructure. Lithuanian Foreign Minister Kestutis Budrys demanded that NATO and the EU upgrade the protection of undersea infrastructure in the Baltic Sea.
Wider Context of Submarine Accidents
It’s just some recent incidents including damaging the gas pipeline between Finland and Estonia called Balticconnector, breaches of telecom cables in the Baltic Sea, and lastly, suspected sabotage cases, were reportedly directed against Nord Stream gas pipelines, connecting Russia and Germany last 2022.
Efforts to Counter Russia’s Shadow Fleet
Twelve Western countries recently agreed to measures aimed at “disrupting and deterring” Russia’s so-called shadow fleet, which operates to evade sanctions. Finnish President Alexander Stubb emphasized, “We must be able to prevent the risks posed by ships belonging to the Russian shadow fleet.”
Calls for Urgent Action
“This should serve as a stark and urgent warning to NATO and the European Union,” said Lithuanian Foreign Minister Kestutis Budrys, highlighting the growing number of incidents and the critical need to enhance security for undersea infrastructure.
Did you subscribe to our daily Newsletter?
It’s Free Click here to Subscribe!
Source: Reuters
