Russia Can’t Be Blamed For Everything Without Any Reason: Spokesperson On Baltic Sea Cable Cut Accusations

In the ongoing row over who is to blame for the severed fiber-optic cables in the Baltic Sea, Russia has denied any involvement, calling the accusations absurd.

The incidents, which occurred over the weekend, raised suspicions of sabotage and risk to international security.

The cables connecting Finland to Germany and Sweden to Lithuania were both damaged in Sweden’s exclusive economic zone within 24 hours of each other.

European governments, including Germany and Poland, suspected foul play, describing the damage as a likely act of sabotage.

During a press briefing, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov rejected the allegations, saying it was “absurd to continue blaming Russia for everything without any reason”.

He also said that these claims were “laughable” against what he described as the lack of global reaction to the Nord Stream pipeline explosions in September 2022.

Moscow has accused Ukraine and its Western allies of being behind the attack. The investigation is also closely monitoring the Chinese-flagged cargo ship, Yi Peng 3, which was in the area of one of the damaged cables.

Denmark’s navy confirmed its presence near the vessel and reported tracking its movement.

When questioned about the vessel, the Chinese Foreign Office said they were unaware of the ship’s activities and denied any involvement.

Tracking data showed the Yi Peng 3 near the C-Lion 1 cable between Finland and Germany at the time of damage. However, the authorities have not found any link between the ship and the incidents.

Meanwhile, Swedish Civil Defence Minister Carl-Oskar Bohlin said that the movements of certain ships matched the timing of the interruptions. He also said that Swedish prosecutors and armed forces were actively investigating the matter.

The Swedish navy has sent ships to survey the damage and help gather evidence.

German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said that the cables were intentionally damaged. He says that nobody believes these cables were accidentally severed.

German police have offered their support to Swedish and Finnish authorities, with officials discussing the importance of protecting such critical infrastructure in the Baltic region.

The cables, crucial for international data transmission, went offline on Sunday and Monday mornings.

One belonged to the C-Lion 1 network, connecting Finland and Germany, while the other, known as Arelion, connected Sweden to Lithuania.

European authorities are working together to find the cause of the damage and ensure the security of similar networks in the future.

References: DW, Reuters