A Russian fiber optic cable under the Baltic Sea was severed last month by a Chinese container ship, according to state company Rostelecom. Finnish investigators suspect that the vessel, named the NewNew Polar Bear, also caused serious damage to the nearby Balticconnector gas pipeline during the same voyage. In addition to these incidents, two other Baltic telecoms cables were damaged on the same night of October 7 along the ship’s route. These incidents have raised concerns about the vulnerability of marine cables and pipelines, particularly in light of the Ukraine war. The spokesperson for Rostelecom confirmed that the double armored fiber optic cable, measuring 40.4 mm in thickness, was completely cut. While China has expressed its willingness to provide necessary information on the incident, the owner and operator of the NewNew Polar Bear, NewNew Shipping, has declined to comment. Rostelecom publicly acknowledged the damage to its cable, describing it as an accident without mentioning the cause. In total, three Baltic telecoms cables and one pipeline were damaged within a span of nine hours. Rostelecom has initiated repairs on the fiber optic cable, which is expected to take 10 days, depending on weather conditions. The company assured that users have not been affected as data is transmitted through terrestrial routes and backup satellite channels.
Chinese Ship Allegedly Cuts Baltic Telecoms Cable, Claims Russian Firm
