Estonian Infrastructure Minister doubts accidental cable damage in Baltic

The Estonian official stated this in an interview with Ukrinform.

“We will cut the wire between Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania and the Russian electricity system on February 8, and we will join the European continental system. In this context, the sea electricity cables are essential because they help keep the system stable and keep the price for consumers feasible. When those cables start to get damaged “accidentally” just before that — I do not believe in coincidence,” Svet said.

The Estonian Infrastructure Minister added that repairing an undersea power cable takes months and costs millions of euros, which is why NATO has deployed its ships in the Baltic Sea, and Estonian forces are conducting operations to protect infrastructure.

“My colleagues from the Ministry who deal with maritime issues and have served on a vessel say if you are a professional sailor, then you will always know if your anchor is down for 30 nautical miles. This series of events is not just a coincidence. I believe there is a human will behind that coming from the east,” the official remarked.

As previously reported by Ukrinform, an undersea fiber-optic cable belonging to the Latvian State Radio and Television Center (LVRTC) was damaged in the Baltic Sea. The transmission monitoring system recorded data transmission disruptions on the Ventspils-Gotland (Sweden) section.

On January 26, Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson stated that Sweden would assist Latvia in investigating the damage to the undersea cable in the Baltic Sea.

In November 2024, two fiber-optic cables were damaged — one connecting Finland and Germany, and the other linking Sweden and Lithuania — raising suspicions of sabotage. NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte announced that the North Atlantic Alliance was launching the Baltic Sentry mission to strengthen the protection of critical infrastructure in the Baltic Sea.