Severing of Two Undersea Cables Linking Germany and Finland Was “Sabotage,” Chinese Ship Yi Peng Is the Main Suspect

Two undersea fiber-optic communications cables in the Baltic Sea, including one linking Finland and Germany, were severed, raising suspicions of sabotage by bad actors, countries and companies involved said on Monday.

The Chinese ship Yi Peng is the main suspect in the investigation into who cut two undersea telecom cables between Finland-Germany and Sweden-Lithuania. The ship sailed right over the cables when they were cut at 8am GMT on Sunday and 2am GMT on Monday.

An undersea telecommunications cable connecting Finland and Germany across the Baltic Sea was severed, raising suspicions of intentional damage, the NATO member states said.

On Monday, Finnish company Cinia, which constructs fiber optic networks and provides telecommunications services, said a “fault” has been detected in the C-Lion1 submarine cable. “Due to the fault, the services provided over the C-Lion1 are down,” it announced.

This was the first time the cable has broken, said Ari-Jussi Knaapila, CEO of Cinia. The cable did not break without an external impact, a company spokesperson explained, adding that no seismic events—such as earthquakes—could have been responsible for this.

NBC News: U.S. allies warn of ‘hybrid warfare’ after two undersea cables cut in Baltic Sea

A rupture in a 730-mile cable linking Germany and Finland was detected Monday, raising suspicions that it may be the latest sabotage targeting the West as it clashes with Russia.

U.S. allies warned of “hybrid warfare” Tuesday after two undersea communication cables were severed in the Baltic Sea, raising suspicions that they may be the latest acts of sabotage targeting the West as it clashes with Russia.

German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said Tuesday that “no one believes that these cables were cut accidentally” after a rupture in a 730-mile cable linking Germany and Finland was detected Monday.

“We have to state, without knowing specifically who it came from, that it is a ‘hybrid’ action,” he said. “And we also have to assume, without knowing it yet, that it is sabotage.”

The Chinese government released a set of photos, showing that the U.S. installed surveillance equipment on the undersea cables, intercepting information through a special device and transmits the data back to the country. (here)

The Chinese government also released a set of photos, showing that the U.S. installed surveillance equipment on the undersea cables, intercepting information through a special device and transmits the data back to the country. One of the key centers for this data transmission is… pic.twitter.com/XdHQNhPMTU

— StarBoySAR (@StarboySAR) November 16, 2024

BREAKING:

The Chinese ship Yi Peng is the main suspect in the investigation into who cut two undersea telecom cables between Finland-Germany and Sweden-Lithuania.

The ship sailed right over the cables when they were cut at 8am GMT on Sunday and 2am GMT on Monday.

pic.twitter.com/gOvzxljGAK

— Visegrád 24 (@visegrad24) November 19, 2024

This would appear to be a response to China’s recent claims that about US cable surveillance.

China Exposes U.S. Undersea Cable Surveillance Program, Raises Concerns about Cybersecurity and Privacy

• China has revealed that the United States has established seven monitoring stations across the country to intercept data transmitted through undersea cables in the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.

• The Chinese National Computer Virus Emergency Response Center (CVERC) released a report on October 14, 2024, exposing the U.S. National Security Agency’s (NSA) “STORMBREW” program, which involves tapping undersea cables and collecting vast amounts of data.

• The U.S. government, in collaboration with the FBI and the UK’s National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC), analyzes and extracts the intercepted data, enabling indiscriminate surveillance on global internet users.

• China presented evidence, including photos, showing the U.S. installation of surveillance equipment on undersea cables and the transmission of intercepted data to a U.S. military base in Guam.

• The U.S. programs, “Upstream” and “Prism,” authorized under Section 702, facilitate the collection and analysis of the intercepted data, providing intelligence to the U.S. government and its allies.

• The revelation raises concerns about cybersecurity and privacy, as undersea cables carry over 95% of international internet traffic, and the U.S. has been pushing its allies to choose “secure” providers, potentially excluding Chinese companies like HMN Tech. (link) (X)

The Chinese government also released a set of photos, showing that the U.S. installed surveillance equipment on the undersea cables, intercepting information through a special device and transmits the data back to the country. One of the key centers for this data transmission is the U.S. military base in Guam