The mystery of underwater cables in the Baltic is far from solving. Sweden has just found another suspect
Last week there were two news that gave an idea that everything that surrounds the cuts and damage of underwater cables in the Baltic is far from ending. After an investigation carried out in the United States, it was slid that the cases in recent months were not due to a Russian sabotage, but to inexperience and deterioration. Hours later, the United Kingdom put the focus again in Russia after detecting a ship in its waters for the second time. Sweden too.
A Sweden-Leonia cable. Apparently, a new underwater data cable, now between Sweden and Latvia, was damaged Sunday, marking the fourth recent incident in the Baltic Sea, one that generates concern in NATO about the vulnerability of critical infrastructure.
The Prime Minister of Latvia, Evika Siliņa, has described the damage as significant and probably “caused by an external force”, which has led to the opening of a criminal investigation. As we have explained, previous incidents have been linked to Russian and Chinese ships.
Ongoing research and measures. The Financial Times had a few hours ago that the Latvian authorities already have a suspect. In fact, they sent a patrol boat to inspect a vessel near the cable at the time of damage, while two other ships are also being monitored.
The Swedish prime minister, Ulf Kristerson, confirmed the damage to at least one cable and said that Sweden is closely collaborating with Latvia and NATO to clarify the incident. In response to these attacks on critical infrastructure, NATO has deployed drones, submarines, ships and airplanes in the region under the operation “Baltic Sentry”, an action that has the objective of detecting and preventing possible sabotage attempts. As we also count, the United Kingdom has deployed its p8 pose fighters.
Background and suspicions. The situation, by repetitive, leads to the affected nations that there is something else. Recent incidents in the Baltic have fueled suspicions about possible sabotage acts by Russian and Chinese vessels. Finland recently seized an oil tanker from the so -called “shade float” of Russia, composed of old ships recorded in remote jurisdictions such as the Cook Islands, which evade international sanctions. Finland Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen said that damage is unlikely to be accidental, although she avoided directly pointing to Russia.
Not just that. In previous incidents, a Chinese ship, the Newnew Polar Bear, damaged a gas pipeline between Finland and Estonia when dragging its anchor, while the Chinese freighter Yi Peng 3 crossed on two data cables in the same region in November. Subsequently, he remained a month in international waters between Denmark and Sweden, where he was approached by Chinese researchers, although access to Swedish inspectors was denied, generating criticism from Stockholm.
Why are they so important. We have underlined it on more than one occasion, but now something else joins. This last incident occurs in a high voltage context, since Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania are preparing to disconnect in February from the inherited Soviet Electric Network and join the European continental system, a key step for its total integration in the West. The three countries, NATO members and the EU, consider this transition as their last separation from Russian influence, which has generated fears of possible sabotage attempts to hinder the process.
In this regard, Lithuania Defense Minister Kęstutis Budrys has urged a review of the Baltic Navigation standards, especially with regard to the use of anchors, underlining the most obvious: that the high number of recent incidents reduces the possibility of accidents.
Repairs and contingency measures. Unlike the gas pipelines and electric lines, whose repair can take months, the damaged fiber optic cables are usually restored in weeks. In fact, the State Radio and Television Center in Latvia has assured that it has already found alternative routes to maintain communications in operation.
Be that as it may, the repetition of these incidents, the room in the Baltic in such a short time, raises a significant strategic challenge for the region, one that has intensified its cooperation with NATO to strengthen the protection of its critical infrastructure. In fact, the organization has made it clear that any new sabotage action will be faced with firmer measures to guarantee the protection of communications and energy supply in the region.
Image | BORN
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