Sweden investigates new cable break in Baltic Sea

ATHENS

Sweden is investigating a damaged cable that was found in the Baltic Sea, local media reported on Friday.

The break of the communication cable that runs between Finland and Germany occurred off the Gotland peninsula, according to public broadcaster SVT.

Citing the company owning the cable, the broadcaster reported that the damage is only minor and hence it would not affect communications.


Confirming the development to the broadcaster, police and coast guard authorities added that a ship is on the way to the scene to assist in the investigation.

More specifically, the coast guard maintained that it is unclear when the suspected cable break occurred, but the incident has been known about since yesterday.

"A preliminary investigation into sabotage has been initiated so that the police have access to the tools needed to find out what happened,” police spokesperson Mathias Rutegard said.Commenting on the development, Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson said on X that he is aware of the information "for some time" and that the government is being kept informed by the relevant authorities.

"We take all reports of possible damage to infrastructure in the Baltic Sea very seriously. As I said earlier, they must be seen in the light of the serious security situation that exists,” he said.

Meanwhile, EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said on X that the EU is beefing up its subsea security.

"Today, we are taking steps to sanction saboteurs, deter adversaries and mobilise our military and civil capacities when needed. This includes boosting funding to safeguard critical infrastructure," Kallas added.

She was referring to the Joint Communication of the European Commission and her office to strengthen the security and resilience of submarine cables. The communication was presented in Helsinki, the capital of Finland, on Friday.

Baltic Sea incidents

The Baltic Sea has been the location of several high-profile infrastructure incidents since the onset of Russia's war on Ukraine in February 2022, which heightened tensions in the region.

In late December, Finland reported that the Eagle S tanker had been detained in connection with a subsea cable damage incident that occurred on Christmas Day.

Last November, two telecommunications cables linking Sweden and Denmark were severed. Authorities suspect the Chinese vessel Yi Peng 3, which sailed over the cables, while China denied Sweden's request to investigate the ship.

The Arelion submarine cable, which connects the Swedish island of Gotland to Lithuania, and the C-Lion 1 submarine communications cable that runs between Finland’s capital Helsinki and the German city of Rostock were also damaged in mid-November near Sweden's territorial waters.

European officials have suggested that sabotage could be behind the recent disruptions, potentially linked to Russia’s ongoing war on Ukraine. But the Kremlin has rejected the claims, calling them “absurd.”

Explosions in September 2022 that ruptured the Nord Stream pipelines carrying Russian gas to Europe remain unresolved, underscoring the region's vulnerability to undersea attacks on key infrastructure.

Authorities across the Baltic region continue to investigate these incidents amid heightened vigilance as geopolitical tensions show no sign of abating.