Russia and China have been involved in recent maritime sabotage efforts in both the Baltic Sea and the South China Sea, with top officials concerned that these incidents are not coincidental. The EU High Representative Kaja Kallas stated that Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine has intensified its hybrid campaign against Europe, including spreading disinformation, cyberattacks, and weaponizing energy supplies.
In November, two cables under the Baltic Sea were severed, and a Chinese-flagged ship was stopped by Danish naval forces after dragging its anchor for over 100 miles along the seabed. The incident damaged critical communication cables connecting Sweden and Lithuania as well as Finland with Germany.
European leaders believe that China is behind the attack, citing previous incidents in the Gulf of Finland where a Chinese ship had dragged its anchor, damaging the Balticconnector gas pipeline and two telecommunications cables between Sweden and Estonia. The damage to these cables has raised concerns about the vulnerability of subsea infrastructure.
The EU is taking steps to increase its defensive capabilities, including deploying more ships, naval drones, and using AI to detect and respond to attacks in the Baltic Sea. NATO will announce a new defensive strategy titled “Baltic Sentry” aimed at countering these threats.
China has denied any intentional wrongdoing in the incident, but targeting international undersea cables is a tactic that China has used against Taiwan in the past. The US Defense Department has warned of China’s plans to invade and annex Taiwan by 2027. NATO leaders predict an era of 2% defense spending “probably history” as tensions rise.
Source: https://www.foxnews.com/world/international-underwater-cable-attacks-russia-china-no-mere-coincidence-warns-eus-top-diplomat