Mysterious Baltic cable failure raises NATO security concerns
If it turns out that the mysterious cable failure in the Baltic was the result of sabotage, Finland does not rule out invoking Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty. "If a state is behind it, it will be perceived as an attack on a democratically free society," said the country's foreign minister, Elina Valtonen.
Finland and Germany reported on Monday that the undersea cable between their countries had been severed. Finland's Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen emphasised that who or what was behind the incident is currently unknown. Still, the possibility that it could be part of hybrid operations by a hostile state is being treated "very seriously."
According to Valtonen, if it turns out to be sabotage, Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty may need to be invoked.
"As stated in NATO resolutions from the summer, hybrid measures can also trigger Article 5 if necessary," she said.
"If a state is behind it, it will be perceived as an attack on a democratic free society," she emphasised.
Article 5 guarantees that an armed attack on a NATO member country will be considered an attack against the entire alliance.
Suspicious Chinese ship
In addition to disrupting the cable between Helsinki and Rostock, a similar infrastructure element connecting Lithuania with Sweden failed. Authorities are investigating the incident.
The Finnish newspaper Iltalehti reported that the undersea cables were severed while a Chinese cargo ship, Yi Peng 3, was passing through the area. Experts are drawing attention to suspicious movements. On Monday, the ship deviated from its route and loitered in the area, returning to its course after about an hour and a half.
