Undersea communications cable damaged in Gulf of Finland
Photo: One of the submarine communication cables in the Gulf of Finland has been damaged (Getty Images)
Damage to the submarine cable connection between Finland and Estonia was detected in the Gulf of Finland. The malfunction was discovered on the morning of December 31, according to ERR.
As noted by the telecommunications company Elisa, thanks to the redundant network structure, the incident did not affect service provision in either Finland or Estonia.
At the same time, the company clarifies that the damage could have affected individual customers who use leased direct channel connections via this cable.
They report that they are in contact with the customers affected by the damage and have used alternative cables to restore their connections.
The company adds that preparations to repair the fault are already underway.
Finnish President Alexander Stubb also responds to the incident. He said that the Finnish authorities had inspected the vessel suspected of damaging the submarine cables in the Gulf of Finland.
The head of state thanks the border guard, police, defense forces, transport and communications regulator, customs service, product safety service, and national power grid operator for their coordinated work and effective communication.
According to him, the authorities continue to closely monitor the situation in close coordination with the government.
"Finland is prepared for security challenges of various kinds, and we respond to them as necessary," the President says.
Damage to cables in the Gulf of Finland
This is not the first case of damage to underwater communication cables between Finland and Estonia. A similar incident occurred a year ago.
In particular, on December 25, 2024, Finland reported damage to an underwater power cable connecting it to Estonia in the Gulf of Finland.
It was about the Estlink 2 cable connecting the two countries. It later emerged that two Elisa communication cables and one CITIC Telecom cable had also been damaged.
According to media reports, two ships were passing near the damaged cables. It later became known that one of them had been detained.
On December 26, Estonian Prime Minister Kristen Michal announced his intention to strengthen the protection of critical infrastructure after the incident in the Gulf of Finland. According to him, NATO allies may be involved in these measures.
