Germany and Finland Investigate Break in Submarine Cable

helsinki - Germany and Finland have launched an investigation after an undersea data cable between the countries was damaged, warning about the dangers of 'hybrid warfare' amidst heightened tensions with Russia.

The Foreign Ministers of both countries expressed deep concern over the disruption of the communication link in the Baltic Sea, where tensions have escalated since the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022. 'Our European security is not only threatened by the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine, but also by hybrid warfare conducted by malicious actors,' the ministers said. 'Protecting our shared critical infrastructure is vital for our security,' they added.

Finnish network operator Cinia announced that the cable between Finland and Germany was cut for unknown reasons. A spokesperson told Finnish media that 'all fiber connections have been severed.' The company stated that it is unclear what the cause is, 'but such disruptions do not occur in these waters without external influence.' The company assured that internet traffic would not be affected by the interruptions.

The nearly 1200-kilometer fiber optic cable between the German city of Rostock and the Finnish capital Helsinki was put into operation in 2016. Last month, NATO opened a new naval base in Rostock, leading to Russia summoning the German ambassador in Moscow the day after the base opening, expressing displeasure over the move.