Baltic Sea cables suffer outages as Moscow ‘shadow fleet’ ship implicated

Dec 26, 2024

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Ryan Robertson Anchor

By Ryan Robertson (Anchor), Evan Hummel (Producer), Michael Edwards (Video Editor)

New reports indicate that additional undersea cable lines were severed in the Baltic Sea. The reports come on the heels of alleged sabotage of different cables in November 2024.

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Finnish authorities said they are investigating more telecommunication line disruptions with a Russian “shadow fleet” reportedly facing a probe related to the Christmas Day outages.

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Finland’s prime minister announced on Wednesday, Dec. 25, a “disruption” in the Estlink-2 cable and said the country is looking into the incident.

Officials noted, the disruption would not impact “electricity supplies in Finland” and there is also enough capacity to meet electricity needs in Estonia.

In a separate incident on Wednesday, Finnish telecommunication officials say that they are investigating the disruptions of two submarine cables between Finland and Estonia.

Currently, investigators are unsure what caused the outages and are still trying to determine where the cable lines were disrupted, although Estonian authorities say they believe the disruption is on the Finnish side.

As Straight Arrow News previously reported, European nations have been on high alert ever since two critical communication cables were severed in the Baltic Sea in November 2024.

European officials called it an act of “sabotage” and implicated Russia in the incident.

Danish authorities later detained a Chinese vessel that they say dragged an anchor more than 100 miles as it left a Russian port.

The Chinese ship is believed to be responsible for cutting cables linking Germany and Lithuania and severing another set of cables connecting Germany and Finland.

Investigators are probing whether the crew worked with Russia in what Western countries consider “hybrid warfare.”

European officials said that China is not suspected of the sabotage but are investigating whether Russia worked with the crew.

Western allies are also upping security in the region as NATO is expected to deploy new technology to protect underwater cables next year.

The international alliance announced earlier this month that it will launch sea drones in summer 2025 to monitor global cables in the Baltic and Mediterranean Seas.

Tags: China, Cyber attack, cyber crimes, Cybersecurity, Europe, Finland, Germany, Hybrid, Mediterranean, Moscow, NATO, One-China, People’s Republic of China, Russia, Russia-Ukraine War, Tech, Technology, Ukraine, Ukraine aid, Ukraine Defense Ministry, War

[RYAN ROBERTSON]

IT LOOKS LIKE MORE UNDERSEA CABLE LINES WERE SEVERED IN THE BALTIC SEA.

THE REPORTS COME ON THE HEELS OF ANOTHER ALLEGED SABOTAGE OF A DIFFERENT CABLE LINE LAST MONTH.

FINNISH AUTHORITIES SAY THEY’RE INVESTIGATING MORE TELECOMMUNICATION DISRUPTIONS WITH A RUSSIAN “SHADOW FLEET” FACING A PROBE RELATED TO THE CHRISTMAS DAY OUTAGES.

FINLAND’S PRIME MINISTER ANNOUNCED A CHRISTMAS DAY DISRUPTION IN IN THE ESTLINK-2 CABLE.

THE DISRUPTION ISN’T IMPACTING “ELECTRICITY SUPPLIES IN FINLAND AND THERE IS ENOUGH CAPACITY TO MEET ELECTRICITY NEEDS IN ESTONIA.

IN A SEPARATE INCIDENT WEDNESDAY, FINNISH TELECOMMUNICATION OFFICIALS SAY THEY’RE INVESTIGATING THE DISRUPTIONS OF TWO UNDERWATER CABLES BETWEEN FINLAND AND ESTONIA.

CURRENTLY, INVESTIGATORS ARE UNSURE WHAT CAUSED THE OUTAGES AND ARE STILL TRYING TO IDENTIFY WHERE THE CABLE LINES WERE DISRUPTED.

AS WE PREVIOUSLY REPORTED, EUROPEAN NATIONS ARE ON HIGH ALERT AFTER TWO CRITICAL COMMUNICATION CABLES WERE SEVERED IN THE BALTIC SEA LAST MONTH.

EUROPEAN OFFICIALS CALLED IT AN ACT OF ‘SABOTAGE,’ AND IMPLICATED RUSSIA IN THE INCIDENT.

DANNISH AUTHORITIES LATER DETAINED A CHINESE VESSEL THEY SAY DRAGGED AN ANCHOR MORE THAN 100 MILES AS IT LEFT A RUSSIAN PORT.

THE SHIP IS BELIEVED TO BE RESPONSIBLE FOR CUTTING CABLES LINKING GERMANY AND LITHUANIA AND SEVERING ANOTHER SET OF CABLES CONNECTING GERMANY AND FINLAND.

INVESTIGATORS ARE PROBING WHETHER THE CREW WORKED WITH RUSSIA IN WHAT WESTERN COUNTRIES CONSIDER “HYBRID WARFARE.” CHINA IS NOT SUSPECTED IN THE SCHEME.

WESTERN ALLIES ARE ALSO UPPING SECURITY IN THE REGION.

NATO IS EXPECTED TO DEPLOY NEW TECHNOLOGY TO PROTECT UNDERWATER CABLES NEXT YEAR…. TECHNOLOGY WHICH INCLUDES LAUNCHING SEA DRONES NEXT SUMMER TO MONITOR CABLES IN THE BALTIC AND MEDITERRANEAN SEAS.

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FOR STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS– I’M RYAN ROBERTSON.