German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius announced this Tuesday that recent damage to fiber optic cables in the Baltic Sea should be considered sabotage, although it is not clear who would be responsible.
The damaged telecommunications cables between Helsinki and Rostock, as well as between Sweden and Lithuania, are a “very clear sign that something is happening here,” Pistorius said. “No one believes that these cables were cut by accident and I don’t like to believe the version that they were anchors who accidentally damaged these cables,” he told the media. .
“So, we have to confirm, without knowing specifically where it’s from, that this is a hybrid function. We also have to accept, without knowing yet, of course, that it is sabotage,” said the head of the German Defense portfolio.
On Sunday, the connection was lost due to a break in the telecommunications cable connecting Lithuania to Sweden. From Telia, a telecommunications company based in Stockholm, they pointed out that the damaged cable is already very old and that there have been several failures, and no cases of sabotage have been recorded so far. “These failures are mainly related to maritime transport, when a ship snags the cable and breaks it somewhere shallow, close to the shore, by dropping the anchor incorrectly,” explained Andrius Semeskevicius, the company’s technology director.
In the early hours of this Monday, a break in the C-Lion1 cable between Germany and Finland was discovered. Ari-Jussi Knaapila, CEO of Cinia, a digital security and telecommunications company from Finland, told the media that the cable, which has been in use since 2015, has never broken down. By RT
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What impact might the damage to fiber optic cables in the Baltic Sea have on Germany’s strategic communication capabilities and its overall defense readiness?
1. As the Defense Minister, how do you assess the recent damage to fiber optic cables in the Baltic Sea and what are its potential implications for Germany’s national security?
2. What are the possible causes of these cable disruptions, and which ones are currently being considered as sabotage? Are there any indications of who might be responsible for such actions?
3. How does Germany plan to investigate and respond to these incidents, given the global significance of the affected cables? Are there any challenges or limitations you foresee in this regard?
4. What role do you think these cable disruptions play in the context of modern warfare, particularly in cyber threats and hybrid campaigns? Are there measures that can be taken to enhance the security of such critical infrastructure?
5. What is your message to the international community regarding the importance of maintaining the integrity of telecommunications infrastructure and preventing potential sabotage? Is there a need for greater coordination and collaboration on this issue?
Section I: Assessment of the Damage and Potential Implications for National Security
Guest 1: German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius
Section II: Possible Causes and Suspects of Cable Disruptions
Guest 2: Ari-Jussi Knaapila, CEO of Cinia (Finland) and Andrius Semeskevicius, Technology Director of Telia (Sweden)
Section III: Germany’s Plans for Investigation and Response
Guest 1: German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius
Section IV: Cyber Threats and Hybrid Campaigns in the Context of Cable Disruptions
Guests 1 and 2 (International Experts)
Section V: Importance of Maintaining Telecommunications Infrastructure and Preventing Sabotage
All Guests
