Russian repairs in Finnish waters spark hybrid warfare concerns
In the Gulf of Finland, a Russian ship commenced repair work on a damaged cable belonging to a Russian operator, as the Finnish Coast Guard reported on Saturday. The repair is being conducted within Finland's exclusive economic zone.
The situation is under surveillance, and a patrol vessel has been dispatched to the area, the statement mentioned, emphasizing that the focus is on ensuring that the repair is being conducted in accordance with the regulations governing the use of the zone.
Finnish authorities have been aware for "some time" of the repair work on the cable and have granted the Russian side permission to carry out the work. However, no detailed information was provided about the damage or when it occurred, according to the STT agency.
A series of failures in the Baltic Sea
Cable and pipeline failures on the Baltic Sea floor have become a significant issue in the age of hybrid warfare conducted by Russia against the West. As previously reported in January, about 30 international cables lie along the Baltic Sea floor, including those crucial for security, power bridges, and telecommunications connections. Additionally, there are six gas pipelines.
Damage to the Balticconnector gas pipeline in the fall of 2023 and earlier incidents involving the Nord Stream lines, the severing of telecommunications cables, and the EstLink 2 power bridge at the end of December last year are just some examples of suspicious "incidents" in the Baltic Sea.
In mid-January, NATO's naval forces command announced the dispatch of two initial ships to the Gulf of Finland as part of the new Baltic Sentry mission established during a Tuesday meeting of Alliance representatives in Helsinki. These ships are intended to monitor the cables running along the Baltic Sea floor.
