German Officials Investigate Sabotage of Baltic Sea Telecommunications Cables
On November 19, 2024, German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius confirmed suspicions of sabotage regarding the recent damage to two telecommunications cables in the Baltic Sea. The cables, which connect Finland and Germany, as well as Sweden and Lithuania, have been compromised, leading to significant concerns among European officials. Pistorius stated, "Nobody believes that these cables were cut by accident... We have to assume... that this was sabotage," during a meeting of EU defence ministers in Brussels.
The damaged Arelion submarine cable, linking the Swedish island of Gotland to Lithuania, has been out of service since Sunday morning, prompting a rerouting of internet traffic to other international connections. Audrius Stasiulaitis, a spokesperson for Telia's Lithuanian subsidiary, confirmed that the disruption was due to material damage rather than equipment failure, assuring that customers remained unaffected.
Ongoing Investigations and Regional Tensions
In response to the incidents, both the German and Finnish governments have initiated investigations into the causes of the cable ruptures. They issued a joint statement expressing their concerns about "hybrid warfare" and the potential threats posed by Russia. The statement reflects a growing anxiety in the region, particularly given the historical context of recent destabilizing events, including the Nord Stream gas pipeline explosions in 2022, which are still under investigation.
Swedish Defence Minister Carl-Oskar Bohlin emphasized the necessity of understanding the reasons behind the cables' failures, highlighting the strategic importance of the Baltic Sea as a shared maritime area among Nordic and Baltic nations, Poland, and Germany. This region has seen multiple incidents attributed to Russian aggression, raising alarms about the security of critical infrastructure in Europe.
