Germany has stated that the damage to two underwater communication cables in the Baltic Sea is likely the result of sabotage. The two fiber-optic cables—one linking Finland to Germany and the other connecting Sweden to Lithuania—ceased functioning on Sunday and Monday, raising concerns about security incidents in the maritime routes affected by the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine.
German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said on Tuesday that it is hard to believe the damage to the two cables was accidental.
“We must conclude, even without knowing exactly who did it, that this is a hybrid attack. We also have to assume, though we don’t know for certain at the moment, that it is sabotage,” he said.
The damage was first discovered on Monday in the C-Lion1 cable, which stretches 1,200 kilometers from the Finnish capital, Helsinki, to the German port city of Rostock. Another cable, between Lithuania and Sweden, was also damaged.
Speaking to reporters in Brussels, Pistorius emphasized that Europe’s security is at risk not only from military threats but also from hybrid threats posed by Russia.
“This means we must be vigilant about overall defense, not just military defense. The damage to these two cables serves as another reminder of this. It’s a very clear sign that something is happening here,” he said.
The foreign ministries of Finland and Germany stated on Monday evening that the damage raised suspicions of sabotage. In a joint statement, they said the two countries were investigating the incident and stressed the importance of protecting this “critical infrastructure.”
Pistorius was also asked about the phone call on Friday between German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Russian President Vladimir Putin, as reported by VOA.
“This call confirmed that Putin is not willing to negotiate on anything. Everyone in Germany or elsewhere in Europe needs to understand that it is not the time to talk about peace, because, of course, we all want peace, but Putin doesn’t want it,” Pistorius said.
The call was harshly criticized by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, but Pistorius defended communication, saying it is always important.
