Russian Undersea Baltic Cable Damaged By "External Impact"

The cable runs under the Baltic Sea from St. Petersburg to Kaliningrad, the same area where ships crewed by Russian nationals have been found to be cutting European countries' cables. 

Though no one has taken responsibility, NATO appears to be demonstrating that two can play this game. JL

Ivan Khomenko reports in United24:

An undersea cable operated by Russia’s Rostelecom has been damaged in the Baltic Sea, specifically within Finland’s exclusive economic zone.  the damaged cable, named “Baltika,” is currently undergoing repairs. The Russian company stated that the damage was caused by an “external impact,” though no further details were provided. Finnish authorities reported that two cables connecting St. Petersburg and Kaliningrad were affected.

An undersea cable operated by Russia’s Rostelecom has been damaged in the Baltic Sea, specifically within Finland’s exclusive economic zone. The incident was reported by Finland’s Gulf of Finland Coast Guard, which is overseeing the repair operations on February 8.

According to Yle, the damaged cable, named “Baltika,” is currently undergoing repairs. The Russian company stated that the damage was caused by an “external impact,” though no further details were provided. Finnish authorities reported that two cables connecting St. Petersburg and Kaliningrad were affected, with their malfunction initially noted on December 27.

Finland’s Ministry of Employment and the Economy estimates that repair work will take approximately a week, depending on weather conditions. The operations are being conducted by a Russian vessel under the supervision of Finnish authorities.

This incident follows a series of disruptions to undersea infrastructure in the Baltic Sea. In late 2024, communication cables between Finland and Estonia, as well as a gas pipeline, were damaged. Investigations linked the damage to the vessel Eagle S, which is reportedly part of Russia’s shadow fleet. The ship’s anchor was suspected of severing the Estlink 2 cable connecting Estonia and Finland.

Additionally, NATO announced the deployment of up to ten naval vessels in the Baltic Sea to safeguard critical underwater infrastructure, including energy and data cables. The operation will involve ships from NATO’s Baltic Fleet and member states, serving as a deterrent against potential sabotage.