The Baltic Cable Damage Was Caused by Accidents, Not Russia, According to US and European Intelligence Agencies
Western intelligence agencies have retracted their previous assertions that Russia was responsible for the destruction of critical underwater infrastructure in the Baltic Sea. The initial accusations of a Russian "hybrid campaign" against Europe have been dismissed by officials from the U.S. and Europe, who now attribute the incidents to accidents caused by commercial vessels with inexperienced crews and poor maintenance.
Western intelligence agencies have retracted their previous assertions that Russia was responsible for the destruction of critical underwater infrastructure in the Baltic Sea. The initial accusations of a Russian "hybrid campaign" against Europe have been dismissed by officials from the U.S. and Europe, who now attribute the incidents to accidents caused by commercial vessels with inexperienced crews and poor maintenance.
The incidents, which were investigated by numerous agencies, included:
In December 2024, Eagle S, an oil vessel, is purportedly responsible for dragging its anchor across the Estlink 2 powerline that connects Finland and Estonia. Alexander Stubb, the President of Finland, had previously attributed the harm to Russia.
In November 2024, Yi Peng 3, a Chinese bulk carrier, was accused of cutting two fiberoptic cables in Swedish waters. At the time, Germany's Defense Minister, Boris Pistorius, referred to it as "sabotage."
In October 2023, the Balticconnector conduit connecting Finland and Estonia was damaged by the Newnew Polar Bear, a Hong Kong-registered vessel. In August 2024, China acknowledged the vessel's involvement in the incident.
The damage is now believed to have been caused by commercial ships trailing their anchors across subsea cables, and there is no evidence of intentional acts or Russian involvement, according to intelligence officials.
This acknowledgment is in stark contrast to NATO's previous willingness to assign responsibility to Russia, which critics have characterized as a trend of prematurely accusing Moscow in geopolitical incidents. For instance, the Nord Stream pipeline explosions in 2022 were widely attributed to Russia, despite the fact that there is limited evidence and concerns regarding the rationale for self-sabotage.
NATO has declared its intention to enhance patrols in the Baltic Sea to "protect underwater infrastructure," despite the fact that investigations indicate that the damage was incidental rather than the result of intentional attacks.
