Two undersea data cables cut in the Baltic, European authorities suspect sabotage

Authorities in Europe are investigating suspected sabotage to two undersea fiber optic cables, one connecting Finland and Germany and the other Sweden and Lithuania, and are monitoring a Chinese cargo ship that may have been involved.

“We are deeply concerned about the severed undersea cable connecting Finland and Germany in the Baltic Sea,” the foreign ministers of Finland and Germany said in a joint statement issued earlier this week, after the damage was discovered. “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.”

Separately, Lithuania’s National Crisis Management Centre head Vilmantas Vitkauskas told Lithuanian National Radio and Television (LRT) that it’s too early to draw definitive conclusions, but “experts say that it’s physical or mechanical damage.” If that proves to be the case, “it’s most likely intentional or accidental due to negligence,” he added.

The Danish military confirmed with AP that it is monitoring the Chinese bulk carrier Yi Peng 3, which was in the area when the two cables were damaged. Reports that the Danish Navy had detained and boarded the ship have not been confirmed.

The good news is that the disruption caused by the damage appears to be relatively minimal, but that may be intentional if the damage was caused by sabotage: King’s College London defense studies senior lecturer Rod Thornton told CNN that it would be an escalation, but a relatively minor one. “They could have gone to the Atlantic and cut a cable there between the US and the UK, or between Europe and the US, which could have major, major consequences, so this is a kind of warning shot,” Thornton said.

The bad news, of course, is that sabotage, even at a relatively low level, is an escalation, and comes at a time when the EU is already dealing with the crisis of Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine. Complicating matters further, as reported by Foreign Policy, the Yi Peng 3 is a Chinese vessel but captained by a Russian citizen: That’s apparently not unusual (there are a lot of Russian sailors out there) but under the circumstances, it is notable.

As noted by Tom’s Guide, this isn’t the first time something like this happened. An undersea gas pipeline connecting Finland and Estonia was damaged by a Chinese cargo ship in 2023, an incident Finland said was intentional.