Finnish authorities have launched an investigation into the damage to a key Global Connect internet cable linking Sweden and Finland, leaving thousands without internet access.
On Sunday, the Swedish Post and Telecommunications Authority detected two cable faults in Finland, one in Espoo and another in Vihti.
While one fault has been repaired, the damage affected around 6,000 Finnish households and 100 corporate clients. Swedish subscribers were not impacted.
Finnish Minister of Transport and Communications Lulu Ranne stated, "The authorities are investigating the matter together with the company. We take the situation seriously."
This was reported by the Helsingin Sanomat newspaper.
Possible Sabotage
Swedish Civil Defense Minister Carl-Oskar Bohlin indicated that Finnish police suspect intentional damage to the cable. Global Connect confirmed this, noting that the cable was damaged in two separate locations.
This is the third incident of cable damage in Scandinavia within a month:
On November 18, the C-Lion1 cable between Finland and Germany was severed near the Nord Stream pipeline in the Baltic Sea.
A communications cable between Lithuania and Sweden was damaged the day before.
Lithuanian operator Telia noted that the affected lines intersect in a small area, leading experts to suspect sabotage.
German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius also stated that "sabotage cannot be ruled out."
Suspicious Activity
The Chinese cargo ship Yi Peng 3 is under investigation for its possible role in the cable damage.
The ship, which departed Russia’s Ust-Luga port for Egypt, attracted attention due to irregularities in its route. When stopped by Danish military forces, the ship’s captain, a Russian citizen, claimed he disembarked shortly after departure and was surprised to be recorded as part of the Chinese crew.
Sweden, Finland, Lithuania, Germany, and other nations are working together to investigate the ship’s potential involvement.
This wave of incidents comes amid warnings from U.S. officials about increased Russian military activity near vital underwater cables. American intelligence has suggested that the Russian Defense Ministry may be preparing specialized units to sabotage NATO countries' critical communications infrastructure.
