Estonia believes that damage to a telecommunications cable between Sweden and Estonia in the Baltic Sea and damage to a gas pipeline and cable between Estonia and Finland are linked, the Swedish government said on Monday. The damage to the communication cable in early October was caused by an "external force".
"It has been confirmed that the cable was damaged due to an 'external force' or deliberate damage," the government said in a statement, Reuters reported.
On October 17, the Swedish government reported that it had received information about damage to the communication cable connecting the two countries, but did not specify the cause.
It is assumed that the cable was damaged simultaneously with the Balticconnector gas pipeline connecting Estonia and Finland and the communication cable between Estonia and Finland.
In response to the events, NATO announced that it would strengthen the protection of underwater communications and patrols in the Baltic Sea, conduct additional observation and reconnaissance flights, and deploy four alliance minesweepers.
On the night of October 8, a leak was discovered in the Finnish-Estonian Balticconnector gas pipeline. The submarine communication cable between Estonia and Finland was also damaged. The 77-kilometer-long submarine gas pipeline was damaged in the Finnish economic zone, while the damage to the submarine cable is located in the Estonian economic zone.