Data cable running across Sweden-Finland border suffers damaged

BERLIN (AP) — A data cable running across the land border between Sweden and Finland has been damaged, local Swedish media reported on Tuesday.

Swedish newspaper Dagens Nyheter said the cable was damaged in two separate places on Finnish territory, citing the Swedish Telecommunications Authority, PTS.

“Authorities are investigating the matter together with the company,” Finland’s transportation and communication minister, Lulu Ranne wrote on X. “We take the situation seriously.”

National Swedish broadcaster Sveriges Radio reported the company affected by the latest damaged cable between Sweden and Finland, Global Connect, said that 6,000 private customers and about 100 business customers were affected by the damage.

The incident comes after the rupture of two data cables on the Baltic Sea bed last month. The two, one running from Finland to Germany and the other from Lithuania to Sweden, were both damaged in Swedish waters.

Finnish, Swedish and German authorities have launched investigations.

Germany’s defense minister said at the time the damage appeared to have been caused by sabotage, though there is no proof at present.

Last week, Sweden formally asked China to cooperate in explaining the rupture of the Baltic Sea data cables where a China-flagged vessel had been sighted.

The Associated Press