Two data cables in the Baltic Sea, one between Finland and Germany and one between Sweden and Lithuania, have been damaged or gone out of order in a short time. Swedish authorities suspect sabotage and have initiated a criminal investigation.
There is a high probability that this is a reaction from Russia, especially since it happens directly after the US allowed Ukraine to use long-distance rockets to strike deeper into Russia.
When data cables and a gas pipeline were damaged on the Baltic Sea floor in the autumn of 2023, attention was directed towards a Chinese vessel with connections to Russia. Even now, several media outlets report that a Chinese vessel was moving in the vicinity at the time when the cables were damaged.
You don't need to use your own military vessel. It's very easy to hire another vessel to drop anchor and pretend to be a trawler.
Another alternative is sabotage with the help of divers departing from a surface vessel, says Nilsson, and notes that cable sabotage is a cheap way to express discontent towards NATO countries.
The system is based on mutual trust between the countries around the Baltic Sea and those active in shipping there. When there are international tensions and war is imminent, it shows how vulnerable our entire infrastructure is, and especially the cables, says Nilsson.
