Swedish authorities said Friday that they were investigating suspected damage to an underwater cable in the Baltic Sea, following a series of incidents that some observers believe are acts of sabotage linked to Russia.Finnish operator Cinia reported "some disturbance" on its C-Lion 1 communications cable, which connects Finland and Germany."However, the disturbance does not affect the functionality of telecommunications connections running in the cable and the data traffic continues flowing normally," Cinia said in a statement, adding that the cause was still under investigation.The same cable was previously cut in November, with suspicions falling on a Chinese vessel.The latest incident adds to growing concerns over damage to cables and other critical infrastructure in the Baltic Sea amid heightened tensions between the West and Russia over Moscows war against Ukraine.Swedish police spokesman Mathias Rutegard told AFP that authorities had opened an investigation into suspected "sabotage" following reports of damage east of the Swedish island of Gotland."We have opened a preliminary investigation into a suspected broken cable in the Baltic Sea and within the Swedish economic zone," Rutegard said.Police later said they had "no suspect" at this stage.Swedish coast guard spokeswoman Karin Cars confirmed that a ship had been sent to the site and was assisting with the crime scene investigation.Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson said in a post on X that the government was closely monitoring the situation."We take all reports of possible damage to infrastructure in the Baltic Sea very seriously.
As I have said before, they must be seen in the context of the serious security situation," Kristersson wrote.The European Commission announced Friday that it would tighten security requirements for underwater cables, prioritize financing for advanced cable deployment and enhance capabilities for rapid repairs.It also vowed to enforce sanctions against "hostile actors" and vessels within Russia's "shadow fleet" a network of ships believed to be evading Western sanctions.