Another Cable Damaged in Baltic Sea – This Time Between Finland and Germany
Sweden has launched an investigation into another damage to a communication cable in the Baltic Sea near the strategic island of Gotland, SVT reports.
The incident was reported on 21 February and confirmed by the Swedish Coast Guard and the Armed Forces.
The Coast Guard reported that the damage was discovered near Gotland on Thursday, but it is not known when exactly it happened. An investigation has been launched into the incident.
‘It is believed that the cable could have been damaged in the Swedish economic zone near Gotland. This is a cable connecting Finland and Germany. Our ship is heading to the site to assist the investigation,’ the press service said on Friday morning.
Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson said that he had been aware of the incident for ‘some time’ and was in contact with the relevant authorities.
‘We take all reports of possible damage to infrastructure in the Baltic Sea very seriously. As I said, they should be considered in the context of the current difficult security situation,’ he commented.
At the same time, Finnish operator Cinia, which owns the damaged cable in the Baltic Sea, said that the damage was not critical - the cable remained in working order, Yle reports.
Hannu Muikku, Cinia's business director, confirmed that the incident occurred with a cable owned by their company, which runs between Finland and Germany.
‘Damage has been detected, but it is not affecting data transmission at the moment... Someone could have moved the cable or hit it,’ he said, adding that the specific extent of the damage and the time it happened is still unknown.
Helsingin Sanomat notes that the same C-Lion1 cable has been involved in previous incidents - in November, when the Chinese vessel Yi Peng 3 was suspected, and on Christmas Day, when the suspected tanker Eagle S was detained immediately after the incident. Repairs to the damage were completed in early January.
In mid-January, NATO set up a new mission to oversee infrastructure security in the Baltic Sea following a series of incidents involving damage to underwater infrastructure and threats posed by a ‘shadow fleet’ of tankers carrying Russian oil.