A critical underwater internet cable connecting Finland and Germany has been cut, prompting fears of Russian sabotage.
The incident happened near the Swedish island of Gotland, in the Baltic Sea, early Monday morning.
Cinia, Finland's government data provider, said a repair ship had been sent to investigate the cause of the break in the cable, the country's only cable to central Europe.
Finland's communications agency said most internet users will not experience Monday's blackout, with the country able to reconnect to cables that cross other parts of the continent.
The company said, although there is no indication that the damage is vandalism, it may have been caused by human activities.
Work on the first installation of the cable – Heikki Saukkomaa / Lehtikuva / AFP
“Currently, there is no way to check the cause of the cable break, but such a break without an external impact does not happen in these waters,” said Ari-Jussi Knaapila, Cinia's CEO.
However, he warned that the damage may have been caused by a towing vessel or a vessel anchored in an emergency. The company revealed that the fiber optic cables are covered in a double-armored metal enclosure.
Finland has remained vigilant about espionage from Russia after it joined Nato, ending decades of neutrality.
Nato intelligence officials warned in September that Russia was building a secret submarine unit tasked with destroying undersea infrastructure, and Dmitry Medvedev, Russia's former president, said such lines were a good game because of Western “collusion” with the destruction of the Nord Stream gas pipeline. pipe.
On Monday, the Ministry of Transport and Communications in Helsinki issued new crisis guidelines for citizens, including information on what to do in the event of a disruption to the communications infrastructure.
With Russia now encircled by Nato states in the Baltic, its waters appear to be highly vulnerable to attempts to disrupt vital energy and communications lines.
The most surprising thing is that the Nord Stream pipeline, which brought Russian natural gas to Germany, was blown up half a year after Russia invaded Ukraine. While the investigation into the incident is still ongoing, it is believed that the suspects were sent from Kyiv.
In October last year, a Chinese cargo ship damaged the gas line between Finland and Estonia with its anchor. The explanation of the Chinese authorities that this incident was dangerous is being closely watched in the West.
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