Concerns are growing over cables carrying internet data being cut or damaged, with cases reported in a number of European countries including Germany, Finland, Sweden and Lithuania.
Danish and Nordic teams are continuing to inspect undersea cables after two were damaged in the Baltic Sea between Germany and Finland, and Sweden and Lithuania.
“We are looking thoroughly and seriously into it, also in light of the current political situation. I note that the German and Swedish authorities are suspecting sabotage,” Danish Minister of Defence, Troels Lund Poulsen, said after a meeting with his Nordic colleagues and the Ukrainian Minister of Defence.
“Should it be the case, then it is of course very worrying. The Danish authorities are monitoring the situation closely and today I have been able to discuss the matter with damaged cables with my Nordic colleagues and how they look at the situation,” he added.
It comes after the Danish military announced it is monitoring a Chinese ship spotted in its waters just two days after the cables were cut.
MarineTraffic vessel tracking data showed the Chinese vessel Yi Peng 3 anchored in the Kattegat strait between Denmark and Sweden on Wednesday. A Danish navy patrol ship was anchored near by.
Asked about the Denmark’s activities in the area, Poulsen said “it is no secret that the Danish Defence have been following the ship. And the relevant authorities are looking into the matter.”
Finnish state-controlled data services provider Cinia reported that a severed data cable running nearly 1,200 kilometres from the Finnish capital of Helsinki to the German port city of Rostock, was detected on Monday.
It followed a similar incident involving a communications cable between Lithuania and Sweden, which was cut on Sunday morning, according to telecommunications company Telia Lithuania.
The damaged cable was roughly 95 to 105 kilometres from the severed cable between Germany and Finland.
Germany’s defence minister said on Tuesday that officials have to assume damage to the two cables was caused by sabotage – though he said they have no proof at present.
The foreign ministries of Finland and Germany had already said Monday evening that the damage raised suspicion of sabotage.
They said in a joint statement that the damage comes at a time that “our European security is not only under threat from Russia‘s war of aggression against Ukraine, but also from hybrid warfare by malicious actors.”
