A Russian fiber optic cable in the Baltic Sea was damaged last month, located just 28 kilometers away from a gas pipeline connecting Finland and Estonia, which also suffered damage shortly afterward. The Russian state company "Rostelecom" revealed the details in a statement on Tuesday and acknowledged the damage to its cable publicly for the first time. The company described the incident as an "accident," but did not specify the cause; however, it noted the proximity in timing and distance to the gas pipeline (Baltic Connector), which Finnish investigators suspect was damaged by a Chinese container ship dragging its anchor along the seabed.
Two other communication cables in the Baltic Sea linking Estonia with Finland and Sweden were also damaged on October 7 and 8. Estonia stated that these incidents were "related to the disruption of the Baltic Connector service." The security of underwater cables and pipelines in the Baltic region has become a significant concern against the backdrop of the Ukrainian war, particularly since last year's sabotage of the two Russian Nord Stream gas pipelines. Investigators have not yet determined who is responsible.
