Baltic Subsea Cable Damage Was Accidental, Not Sabotage – US and European Officials
By Niva Yadav, Data Center Dynamics
January 20, 2025
Subsea cable damage in the Baltic Sea in recent months was likely the result of maritime accidents, not Russian sabotage, according to several US and European intelligence officials.
As reported by The Washington Post, US and European officials have gathered evidence – including intercepted communications – which have concluded that anchors were dragged across the seabed accidentally because of inexperienced crews aboard poorly maintained vessels.
One European official has sustained there is counter-evidence suggesting otherwise, however, US and European officials have declined to elaborate on the situation.
It is also unclear which officials participated in the investigations, as they spoke to the publication on the condition of anonymity.
At the end of last year, the Estlink 2 subsea cable between Finland and Estonia was cut. Around the same time, three Internet cables connecting the two nations were cut, and a fourth fiber optic cable between Finland and Germany was also cut.
Russia was believed to be behind the cable cuts. Finnish Authorities even seized the Eagle S ship, carrying Russian oil, in late December under suspicion of being behind the cable cuts.
Shortly before that, in November, international investigators suspected a Chinese ship’s crew deliberately dragged an anchor to sever two subsea cables in the Baltic Sea.
The situation in the Baltic Sea prompted a response from NATO, which launched a new military program to strengthen subsea infrastructure in the region earlier this month.
