There is no evidence that the damage to the cables in the Baltic Sea was a deliberate action on the part of Russia. This was stated by the head of the Finnish intelligence service Supo Juha Martelius.
"We believe that there was no deliberate action on the part of the Russian state," he said, commenting on the damage to cables in the Baltic Sea, which has occurred several times in recent years.
He also admitted that the intelligence services of other countries have a similar view of these incidents. At the same time, the annual Supo safety review also notes that damage to cables in the Baltic Sea by anchoring ships "has occurred regularly this century, although these incidents have not been widely publicized before."
The document reports that the incidents most often occurred in the autumn and winter months. It also notes an increase in the movement of ships of various countries in the Baltic Sea, whose crews are not accustomed to the harsh weather conditions of the North. At the same time, the number of cables laid along the bottom of the relatively shallow Baltic Sea (average depth of about 54 meters) has doubled over the past few years.
The Supo report says that public opinion may have created a "deceptive" view of Russia's actions and capabilities, but in reality Moscow "is not omnipotent, but concentrates its resources on activities that best serve its own interests."
"Violations of maritime navigation in the Baltic Sea do not fit into these motives," the Supo concluded.
It should be recalled that damage to power transmission lines, including energy and telecommunications cables, as well as pipelines, which occurred mainly in the Gulf of Finland region, has been recalled since the autumn of 2023. Then the idea of a "Russian trace" was introduced into public opinion. However, no evidence was ever presented.