The Finnish police have rejected media reports suggesting that they are carrying out a criminal investigation after damage to fibre optic cables between Finland and Sweden.
A breach of two separate land-based fibre-optic internet cables was believed to have been caused by construction work and not a criminal act, authorities in Finland said.
Police in the Nordic region and beyond are on high alert following recent breaches of two undersea fibre-optic communications cables in the Baltic Sea, which raised suspicions of potential sabotage.
The latest damage, which occurred at two separate locations on Monday, appeared to have been caused by excavation work, police said in a statement.
“There is no reason to suspect criminal activity in the two cable damage incidents,” it said.
Finnish Transport and Communications Minister Lulu Ranne also said the breaches appeared to be accidental, as did the government communications agency Traficom.
Both cables were repaired by early afternoon on Tuesday, Traficom said.
The cable breaks occurred on a line that connects Finland and its western neighbour Sweden, a spokesperson for the Swedish Post and Telecom Authority said.
Earlier on Tuesday, Swedish radio station Sveriges Radio reported that the Finnish police assumed a crime was involved.
Ranne wrote on X that the authorities are investigating the matter.
“We are taking the situation seriously,” Ranne said.
Telecoms groups GlobalConnect and Elisa said one of the two breaches that occurred on Monday was likely due to excavation work.
GlobalConnect is still investigating the second incident.
In November, damage to two fibre optic cables in the Baltic Sea occurred within a short period of time.
These were a cable running between Sweden and Lithuania and one between Finland and Germany.
The cause is still unclear in both cases and Swedish authorities are investigating possible sabotage.
The investigation centres on a Chinese ship called Yi Peng 3, which is believed to have passed the affected areas of the cables at the time in question.
with Reuters
https://thewest.com.au/news/disaster-and-emergency/data-cable-between-finland-and-sweden-damaged-c-16966305
