Unnamed U.S. officials told CNN that there is no evidence of intentional infrastructure damage in the incidents involving the damage of two underwater communication cables.
According to them, the preliminary assessment did not reveal any signs of malicious activity. U.S. officials believe the damage was likely caused by an anchor dropped by a passing ship.
This week, it was reported that a communication cable belonging to the Finnish company Cinia, which runs along the Baltic Sea floor and connects Finland to Germany, was damaged. The cable, nearly 1,200 kilometers long, is the only direct connection between Finland and Central Europe and runs alongside other critical infrastructure such as gas pipelines and electrical cables.
Later, reports came in about the damage to another communication cable between Lithuania and Sweden in the same region. European officials have suggested the possibility of sabotage. Specifically, in Sweden, the police have initiated an investigation into sabotage. While in Lithuania, the cable damage incident is being investigated as a terrorist act.
