Two crucial submarine cables in the Baltic Sea, between Finland and Germany and between Sweden and Lithuania, are largely and simultaneously out of service. The cables lie close to each other on the seabed. Although the exact cause is still unknown, sabotage is not ruled out.
The incidents are seen as potential strategic attacks on Europe's vulnerable infrastructure.
The Finland-Germany cable plays a key role in the digital connection between Northern and Central Europe, while the Swedish-Lithuanian cable supports essential networks in the Baltic region. Both breaks were reported earlier this week.
German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius suspects sabotage because of geopolitical tensions between NATO countries and Russia.
The current incidents are reminiscent of the rupture of a gas pipeline in the Gulf of Finland earlier this year, which was probably caused by a Chinese container ship's anchor dragging along the seabed. The incident was initially considered an accident, but later fueled speculation that it was intentional.
The Baltic Sea cable breaks also appear to show parallels with the sabotage of the Nord Stream pipelines in 2022, shortly after the outbreak of the Russian war against Ukraine. In that event, a new German-Russian gas pipeline was destroyed. The European Union will stop importing Russian oil and gas for a short time.
Experts have long warned about the risks of hybrid warfare, which involves not only the use of military means but also strategic attacks on economic and technological infrastructure.
Russia is often mentioned as a potential threat. Geopolitical tensions in the region mean that European countries remain vigilant for sabotage attacks targeting impossible places in their infrastructure.
Analysts say better monitoring and security of submarine cables, gas pipelines and other critical networks is needed. The Baltic Sea is a major hub for both energy and data connections, and incidents like this could seriously affect stability and cooperation in the region.
Although conclusions have not yet been drawn, several countries point out that the proximity and simultaneous failure of the cables cannot be a coincidence. Germany, Finland, Sweden and Lithuania call for increased cooperation within the EU and NATO to prevent such incidents in the future.
The ruptures in the Baltic Sea cables illustrate once again how vulnerable Europe is to non-traditional warfare, experts say.