On the morning of January 26, an underwater fiber-optic cable belonging to Latvian Radio (LVRTC) broke in the Baltic Sea.
This was reported on the radio stationʼs website.
The LVRTC monitoring system has detected data transmission failures on the Ventspils-Gotland section. The radio continues to provide services via alternative routes. They warned of a possible slowdown in communication speeds, but added that this does not affect users in Latvia for the most part.
Together with partners, LVRTC conducted an inspection and measurements of the network using equipment installed in Ventspils. It is assumed that the cable is "significantly damaged" due to external factors. Criminal proceedings have been initiated.
The cable lies at a depth of more than 50 meters, so the exact causes and nature of the damage will be determined only after the start of repair work.
Latvian Prime Minister Evika Silinė called a meeting of ministries and authorities on the matter. Silinė stressed that Latvia would cooperate with countries in the region and NATO to investigate the incident.
- NATO countries previously announced the Baltic Sentinel mission, which will patrol critical areas of the Baltic Sea. The decision was made due to the rupture of submarine cables in the region.
Cable breaks in the Baltic Sea
An undersea telecommunications cable between Finland and Germany, which runs alongside other important undersea infrastructure, including gas pipelines and power cables, was severed on November 18, 2024. A cable between Lithuania and Sweden was also reported to have been severed. Both incidents came just weeks after the United States detected increased Russian military activity around major undersea cables.
Germany immediately declared that these incidents were sabotage and a hybrid attack. The American newspaper The Wall Street Journal, citing sources, wrote that the crew of the Chinese bulk carrier Yi Peng 3 is suspected of severing communication cables in the Baltic Sea.
Investigators believe the crew may have intentionally severed two important data cables while dragging the anchor along the bottom of the Baltic Sea for more than 160 kilometers.
The Yi Peng 3 crew consists of two people: the captain, a Chinese citizen, and a Russian sailor. The investigation by European countries is now focused on whether the captain was recruited by Russian intelligence.
Swedish Minister of Civil Defense Carl-Oscar Bolin said that authorities have determined that a Chinese ship also threatened to cut the power cable connecting the Baltic and Nordic countries.
On Christmas Day, December 25, the Estlink 2 submarine power cable between Finland and Estonia broke. Two ships were passing over it at the time of the incident. Finnish police suspect that the Eagle S, which was en route from Russia to Egypt, was involved.
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