Image by jbauer-fotographie from Pixabay
Authorities across the Baltic region have been placed on high alert following a new wave of disruptions to subsea infrastructure, with investigators in Finland and Latvia probing separate incidents of damaged telecommunications cables.
The latest security concerns began on December 31, 2025, when Finnish authorities intercepted the cargo vessel Fitburg in the Gulf of Finland. The ship, which was traveling from Russia to Israel, is suspected of damaging an undersea cable owned by the telecommunications provider Elisa. Finnish police have stated that they are investigating the matter as “aggravated criminal damage” and “aggravated interference with telecommunications.”
Evidence suggests the Fitburg may have dragged its anchor and chain along the seabed for several kilometres before striking the cable. According to reports from Sky News, Finnish special forces boarded the vessel after it was observed with its anchor chain lowered while moving through the Finnish economic zone. Two crew members have since been arrested, while others remain under travel restrictions as the investigation into the ship’s equipment and logs continues.
A second incident was reported on January 2, 2026, involving a fibre-optic link between Sventoji in Lithuania and Liepaja in Latvia. As reported by Reuters, Latvian State Police boarded a ship in the port of Liepaja over the weekend to inspect its equipment and logs. However, authorities later confirmed that they found no immediate evidence linking that specific vessel to the breach.
The frequency of these outages has led to increased regional tension. Lithuania’s National Crisis Management Centre has emphasized that while investigations are ongoing, it is too early to definitively name a cause. However, the incidents follow a pattern of “hybrid threats” targeting maritime infrastructure that has persisted since 2022.
As noted by Splash247, NATO has significantly boosted its presence in the Baltic Sea with frigates and naval drones in response to these recurring vulnerabilities. EU officials have also expressed support for the investigations, with EU High Representative Kaja Kallas stating that Europe’s critical infrastructure remains at “high risk of sabotage” and thanking Finland for its swift response.
While telecommunications traffic has been successfully rerouted and consumer services remain unaffected, regional leaders continue to treat the protection of these cables as a critical priority for collective security. Repairs to the damaged links are expected to be completed within the next two weeks, depending on weather conditions in the Baltic.