November 19th 2024.
Several telecommunications companies in the Baltic Sea region have reported sudden disruptions in their undersea internet cables, leading to concerns of possible Russian interference. According to sources, a communications cable between Lithuania and Sweden was cut on Sunday morning, causing significant traffic disruption. It is believed that the cause of the cut was physical damage to the cable itself, rather than equipment failure.
Audrius Stasiulaitis, a spokesperson for Telia Lithuania, stated that their monitoring systems detected the cut and confirmed that it was due to damage to the fibre optic cable. Similar disruptions were reported by Cinia, a state-controlled Finnish company, on their C-Lion cable linking Finland and Germany. This cable, which spans nearly 1200km, is a critical piece of infrastructure that connects Finland to Central Europe.
Upon further investigation, it was found that the disruption on the Finnish-German cable occurred approximately 100km away from the cut on the Lithuanian-Swedish cable. This has raised suspicions of intentional damage, with some officials even considering the possibility of hybrid warfare. The foreign ministers of Finland and Germany expressed their concern over the incident and called for a thorough investigation.
These incidents have sparked fears of potential sabotage, especially after the US recently issued a warning about increased Russian military activity around undersea cables. US officials believe that Russia may be planning to carry out sabotage operations on these critical pieces of infrastructure. This concern was further amplified by a joint investigation by Nordic public broadcasters, which revealed Russia's suspected spy ships operating in the region as part of a potential sabotage program.
The sudden disruptions in the undersea cables have highlighted the vulnerability of global undersea infrastructure and the potential impact of outside interference. As investigations continue, it is crucial to ensure the security and protection of these vital communication links.
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