Germany says damage to 2 underwater telecommunication cables is 'sabotage'
USA Today3 days
Chinese Ship Suspected of Severing Cables in Baltic Sea
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Above: Workers repair undersea fiber-optic cables in 2023. Image copyright: Stephen Sauer/Picture Alliance via Getty Images
The Facts
Suspicions over who or what was responsible for the severing of two communications cables in the Baltic Sea this past week have narrowed in on a Chinese vessel, though authorities from the multiple governments investigating the incidents have yet to publicly assign blame.
Following reports that Russia's capacity to carry out such acts as part of a wider sabotage effort had expanded, initial reporting on the severing of the two internet cables — running between Lithuania-Sweden and Finland-Germany — linked Russia to the incidents but fell short of directly blaming the country.
The Spin
Narrative A
European officials have narrowed in on a Chinese vessel and, given this was most likely an act of deliberate sabotage, it is being investigated extremely seriously. However, we will need to wait for the outcome of such investigations before anything can be stated with any certainty.
Narrative B
While a Chinese vessel was likely responsible for the severing of these cables, early signs indicate that this was likely an accident rather than a malicious act. Numerous cables have been damaged in the past by ships dragging their anchors across the seabed, and there's no reason to unnecessarily escalate tensions given this context.
