Finland, Sweden investigate suspected sabotage of Baltic Sea telecoms cable

Henna Virkkunentech boss

We want to make sure Europe is equipped not only to prevent and detect sabotage to cables but also to actively deter, repair and respond to any threat to critical infrastructure,

Henna Virkkunen, the executive vice president in charge of security at the Commission, said

Ulf Kristerssonprime Minister

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

We have opened a preliminary investigation into a suspected broken cable in the Baltic Sea and within the Swedish economic zone,

Rutegard said

However, the disturbance does not affect the functionality of telecommunications connections running in the cable and the data traffic continues flowing normally,

it said in a statement,

The preliminary investigation into sabotage was opened so that the police can have access to the tools needed to clarify what happened,

Swedish police said in a statement

The preliminary investigation relates to suspected sabotage,

Rutegard said

We have a ship called KBV 003 on its way to east of Gotland. It is in the Swedish economic zone and we are assisting with the crime scene investigation,

Karin Cars told AFP

Ulf Kristerssonprime Minister

I have for some time been aware of media reports of a possible new cable break in the Baltic Sea,

Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson said separately on social media

We have received information about a suspected cable breach and the prosecution service has chosen to start a preliminary investigation,

a coastguard spokesperson told Reuters