Sweden investigates further cable damage

Swedish police are investigating another suspected case of sabotage of an undersea telecoms cable in the Baltic Sea.

Finnish telecom operator Cinia said on Friday that it had detected minor damage in Swedish waters on its C-Lion1 undersea fibre-optic link connecting Finland and Germany, the third time this particular cable has been struck since November last year.

“The preliminary investigation relates to suspected sabotage,” said Swedish police spokesperson Mathias Rutegard.

Seabed gas pipelines, power cables and fibre optic cables have all been attacked – likely by merchant ships dragging their anchors – in recent months across the Baltic, forcing NATO to establish Baltic Sentry, a naval protection operation. Baltic Sentry involves a range of assets, including frigates, submarines, maritime patrol aircraft, and drones. 

The European Commission said on Friday it will propose boosting surveillance of undersea cables and establishing a fleet of vessels available to carry out repairs in emergencies.

A joint statement from the heads of state or government of Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland and Sweden last month noted: “Russia’s use of the so-called shadow fleet poses a particular threat to the maritime and environmental security in the Baltic Sea region and globally. This reprehensible practice also threatens the integrity of undersea infrastructure, increases risks connected to sea-dumped chemical munitions, and significantly supports funding of Russia’s illegal war of aggression against Ukraine.”