American and European intelligence agencies believe that the ruptures of submarine cables in the Baltic Sea and the Gulf of Finland were caused by maritime accidents, not by Russian sabotage.
American and European intelligence agencies believe that the ruptures of submarine cables in the Baltic Sea and the Gulf of Finland were caused by maritime accidents, not by Russian sabotage.
According to The Washington Post, citing sources, intelligence agencies from the United States and six European Union countries have found no evidence of Russian involvement in the incidents. They have agreed that the cause was accidents caused by inexperienced crews working aboard poorly maintained vessels.
Recall that the cable breaks raised suspicions that Russia was targeting Europe’s underwater infrastructure in its campaign of hybrid attacks across the continent, and therefore European intelligence agencies have tightened security measures, and NATO has sent additional ships to the Baltic Sea.
The investigation focused on three incidents over the past 18 months. In all cases, ships heading to or from Russian ports were suspected of severing vital undersea cables that carry gas, electricity and internet traffic to millions of people across northern Europe.
In the latest case, in late December 2024, Finland detained an oil tanker because it suspected it was dragging its anchor along the seabed through an undersea power cable connecting Finland and Estonia. Finnish authorities said the Eagle S was part of Russia’s shadow fleet, helping the latter circumvent sanctions and sell oil on world markets.
Previous cases included the Hong Kong-registered container ship NewnewPolar Bear, which ruptured a natural gas pipeline in the Gulf of Finland in October 2023, and the Chinese vessel Yi Peng 3, which cut two data cables in Swedish waters in November 2023.
