Finland’s transport agency, Traficom, has confirmed that the damage to fibre-optic cables connecting Finland and Sweden was the result of accidental cuts made during construction work.
Contrary to earlier speculations from Swedish authorities, who had suspected sabotage, the incident is now believed to have been an unfortunate accident linked to excavation activities.
The cables, which play a crucial role in communication between the two Nordic countries, were severed earlier this week, disrupting services for some Finnish households.
Nordic telecoms group GlobalConnect, which operates the affected infrastructure, told the BBC that one of the breaks was indeed caused by excavation work.
The company reported that around 6,000 households in Finland were impacted by the incident on Monday, although no disruption was reported in Sweden.
Traficom’s statement indicated that repairs were quickly carried out, restoring the damaged cables and mitigating further issues.
“Both cables appear to have been cut during construction work,” the agency said, clarifying that there was no ongoing risk to communications.
The Swedish government had initially raised concerns that the incident could be a case of “sabotage,” given the heightened security environment in the region.
Sweden’s fears were fueled by the growing geopolitical tensions following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, which has led to an increased focus on undersea infrastructure and incidents in the Baltic Sea.
Sabotage suspicions have been particularly sensitive since the Nord Stream pipeline attacks in 2022, which heightened awareness of vulnerabilities in the region’s energy and communications systems.
However, Finnish police have stated that they do not suspect criminal activity in this case. “There is no evidence at this time to suggest that this incident was anything other than an unfortunate accident,” a spokesperson for the Finnish police said.
GlobalConnect, which operates the affected cables in Sweden, echoed the Finnish authorities’ assessment, confirming that the damage was linked to construction work.
“At least one of the breaks was caused by excavation work,” the telecoms company explained. They assured that the situation had been addressed promptly and that services were now restored for the affected households in Finland.
While the immediate technical issue appears to have been resolved, the incident has once again drawn attention to the vulnerability of critical infrastructure in the Baltic Sea region.
The ongoing conflict in Ukraine has prompted concerns about potential sabotage and attacks on undersea cables, pipelines, and other vital connections.
Despite these concerns, the current incident is not being treated as a deliberate act of sabotage.
The Finnish police and telecom authorities have worked swiftly to resolve the problem, and with services now restored, the focus will likely shift back to the broader geopolitical and security concerns in the region, particularly as the war in Ukraine continues to shape international relations.
As tensions remain high in the Baltic, the incident serves as a reminder of the potential risks to infrastructure that are increasingly being scrutinized in the current climate of heightened geopolitical awareness.
For now, the disruption appears to have been a result of unfortunate construction work, rather than a deliberate attack.