Sources say these incidents resemble other operations that indicate Moscow's escalation of hybrid warfare against NATO countries.
Suspicion toward Russia is growing in Europe after two fiber-optic cables running along the Baltic Sea floor were damaged earlier this week. One cable, a 135-mile line between the Swedish island of Gotland and Lithuania, and another, a 700-mile cable connecting Finland and Germany, ceased functioning. The first cable stopped working on Nov. 17, while the second was disabled the following day.
Swedish police have started a preliminary investigation into suspected sabotage, involving the Coast Guard and armed forces. Similar actions are being taken in Finland and Germany. Western officials see these incidents as signs of hybrid warfare by Moscow against NATO nations, intended to put political pressure on Ukraine’s partners and destabilize the region.
German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius emphasized the low likelihood of accidental cable damage. He stated that the incidents suggest a deliberate operation, though declining to make a specific attribution.