Prosecutors in Stockholm launch preliminary investigation into suspected sabotage, hours after Germany dubs cable failure part of a ‘hybrid operation’

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Swedish authorities say they have detected a Chinese ship moving near two telecoms cables that failed within hours of each other on the Baltic Sea bed in recent days.

Prosecutors in Stockholm have launched a preliminary investigation into suspected sabotage, hours after Germany dubbed the cable failure part of a “hybrid operation”.

On Sunday morning at about 10am, Swedish authorities registered problems with a data cable under the Baltic Sea from the Öland island to Lithuania. At 4am on Monday, telecoms operators in Finland and Germany reported problems with another cable called C-Lion-1.

Both cables were damaged in the Swedish economic zone, prompting prosecutors in Stockholm to take the investigation lead.

  • anon6789English
    3•3 hours ago

    I’m inclined to agree. Both events seem to involve too many coincidences for it to be unintentional. I have no idea how they would prove this, and moreso what the official response would be.

    I’d be very curious to see a video or write-up of how the investigation is done and if there is any deep sea forensics work.

    • @[email protected]English
      1•3 hours ago

      Yeah it would be hard to prove it wasn’t just an idiot dragging many thousands of pounds behind them. But at 60-70 meters deep is deeper (but not unheard of) of a depth for a ship to lay anchor.

      For them to then start going again while dragging the anchor and not realize the ship is moving incorrectly for a long distance seems impossible.