Undersea Internet Cable Connecting Finland and Germany Damaged Amid Russian Threat Warnings

On November 18, 2024, telecommunications between Finland and Germany were disrupted due to damage to the C-Lion1 undersea cable. Stretching 1,173 kilometers from Helsinki to Rostock, the cable serves as the sole direct link between Finland and Central Europe.

Cinia, the Finnish state-controlled company responsible for the cable, confirmed the malfunction. The exact cause of the damage remains under investigation. Samuli Bergström, head of Finland’s Cyber Security Center, indicated that potential causes could include adverse weather or damage from maritime traffic. Repair efforts are already underway.

Ari-Pekka Knaapila, CEO of Cinia, stated that it is premature to speculate on whether the damage was intentional, but emphasized that incidents like these are unlikely to occur without external influence in the region where the cable is located.

The C-Lion1 cable, which has been operational since 2016, is a critical piece of infrastructure, running parallel to gas pipelines and power cables. This damage follows a heightened security warning from the United States regarding Russian military activity near undersea cables.

In September 2024, US officials expressed concerns that Russia might be preparing sabotage operations targeting such infrastructure, based on a joint investigation by Nordic broadcasters that uncovered the presence of Russian spy ships in the area.

Earlier, in April 2023, СNN showcases, public broadcasters from Sweden, Denmark, Norway, and Finland reported that Russia had deployed a fleet of suspected spy ships operating in Nordic waters. This was part of a broader strategy that could include sabotaging undersea cables and wind farms.

Cinia has prepared a repair vessel to address the damage. According to Finland’s YLE, the company has stated that while the repair timeline is uncertain, submarine cable repairs usually take between five and 15 days.