Only fiber-optic cable connecting Finland to Central Europe cut in Baltic Sea – media

The C-Lion-1 underwater fiber-optic communication cable between Finland and Germany is damaged. Deliberate disconnection is currently being considered.

Ilta-Sanomat reported this on Monday, November 18.

The C-Lion1 telecommunications cable, laid on the bottom of the Baltic Sea between Finland and Germany, has been severed.

"The cable is believed to have broken due to an external force, such as an anchor or bottom trawling. There is no certainty as to the cause of the failure. At this time, the possibility of intentional interference has not been ruled out," says the message of the Cinia company, which is engaged in the construction of fiber-optic networks.

This is the only cable that connects Finland with Central Europe. According to Cinia, a repair vessel has gone to the site. The exact repair time is not yet known, but usually such damage is repaired in 5-15 days.

It is known from open sources that the C-Lion1 cable was commissioned in 2016. Its length is 1173 kilometers, and the depth it is laid is about a meter. The cable runs next to the Nord Stream gas pipeline.

As the Ukrainian News agency earlier reported, on July 30, unknown persons cut a number of fiber-optic cables that provide broadband communication throughout France.

In February, media reported that the Yemeni Houthis threatened to cut an underground fiber-optic cable at the bottom of the Red Sea if the U.S. and UK launched another attack on Yemeni airports.

On February 2, the Ministry of Telecommunications and Information Technologies of Yemen rejected accusations of plans to damage a fiber-optic cable at the bottom of the Red Sea.