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Published 17:33 IST, January 27th 2025

EU Wants Its State Members To Do More To Protect Undersea Data Cables In Baltic Sea

EU member states should do more to protect undersea data cables in the Baltic Sea, an EU official said on Monday, a day after an underwater fiber optic cable was damaged.

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European Union
European Union | Image: Pexels

EU member states should do more to protect undersea data cables in the Baltic Sea, an EU official said on Monday, a day after an underwater fiber optic cable was damaged.

"Protection of critical infrastructure and also investigation of the incidents is the responsibility of the member states," said Henna Virkkunen, EU Commission Executive Vice-President for Tech Sovereignty, Security and Democracy.

She added that the commission can provide support financially and enable information sharing.

"It's crucial to be able to better prevent, detect, respond and also repair our infrastructure," she stressed.

The cable connects Latvia and the Swedish island of Gotland.

Latvia Foreign Minister Baiba Braze told reporters in Brussels, that there was progress made in identifying the ship responsible for the damage.

Swedish prosecutors announced Sunday night that they have opened a preliminary investigation into suspected aggravated “sabotage” and ordered the detention of a vessel in the Baltic Sea.

"There were several ships that were cooperating (and) one ship that was not cooperating," Braze said.

She added that there was a "sanctioned shadow fleet ship," but did not provide further details.

Latvia's state-run radio and TV center said Sunday that it recorded disruptions in data transmission on the cable running from the town of Ventspils to the Swedish island of Gotland, and concluded there was a rupture.

The media organization said it was able to operate using other data transmission routes, while it was taking steps to have the cable repaired.

Sunday's rupture follows a string of incidents that have heightened fears of Russian sabotage and spying in the strategic region.

There have been previous incidents reported of ruptures of data cables running on the Baltic sea bed, allegedly linked to Russia’s shadow fleet — hundreds of aging tankers of uncertain ownership that are dodging sanctions and keeping oil revenue coming into the country.

Earlier this month, NATO began a new mission dubbed “Baltic Sentry” which included frigates, maritime patrol aircraft and a fleet of naval drones to provide “enhanced surveillance and deterrence” in the Baltic Sea which the transatlantic alliance says is to protect undersea cables and pipelines.

Updated 17:33 IST, January 27th 2025