An internet cable rupture has been detected in the Baltic Sea, linking Germany and Finland.

A telecommunications cable, connecting Finland and Germany, has been found severed in the Baltic Sea near the Russian gas pipeline "Nord Stream," as reported by the Finnish state operator Cinia Oy, according to moscowtimes.eu.

Preliminary information suggests that the cause was "external influence." The company has not ruled out the possibility of "deliberate sabotage." An investigation has been initiated.

Damage was detected around 4 AM on the C-Lion1 cable, which has a capacity of 144 terabits per second and runs from Santahamina in Finland to Rostock in Germany. A repair vessel has been dispatched to the site. Cable services are temporarily unavailable. The malfunction is expected to be resolved within 15 days.

C-Lion1 was the first cable laid directly between Finland and Germany. Previous communication channels passed through Sweden and Denmark. It was commissioned in 2016 and spans a length of 1,173 km.

This is the only Finnish underwater communication cable that goes directly to Central Europe and runs alongside the Russian "Nord Stream" gas pipeline, which was blown up due to sabotage in 2022. The distance between them is only a few hundred meters.

In September, U.S. officials informed CNN that Russia is developing a specialized military unit for sabotage aimed at damaging the underwater cable infrastructure of NATO countries. According to their reports, the developments are commissioned by the Russian Ministry of Defense and include naval forces, submarines, and marine drones.

In spring 2023, NATO reported increased activity of the Russian fleet near underwater cables in the Baltic Sea. Additionally, last year, a joint investigation by journalists from Sweden, Denmark, Norway, and Finland revealed the presence of Russian spy vessels that could pose a threat to Europe’s underwater infrastructure.

At the same time, a week ago, Putin's aide Nikolai Patrushev stated that the U.S. and Britain are preparing to sabotage underwater internet cables.