Germany called for tougher European Union sanctions against Russia after the suspected sabotage of an undersea power cable connecting Finland and Estonia.
The Estlink 2 cable, critical for carrying electricity between the two countries, was severed on Wednesday, raising alarm across Europe about the vulnerability of key infrastructure, the Moscow Times reported.
"Almost every month, ships are damaging major undersea cables in the Baltic Sea," German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock told Funke media group on Saturday. Baerbock cited a number of incidents where vessels dragging anchors along the seafloor damaged the cable, raising suspicion of deliberate interference.
"It's more than difficult to still believe in coincidences. This is an urgent wake-up call for all of us," Baerbock said, emphasizing the need for new sanctions against Russia's "shadow fleet."
The shadow fleet refers to vessels transporting Russian crude oil and other products despite EU embargoes tied to Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Baerbock warned that these ships pose significant security and environmental risks while funding Moscow's war efforts.
Finnish authorities are investigating the Russian-flagged oil tanker Eagle S, which sailed from a Russian port, as part of their probe into the cable disruption. The incident follows the severing of two telecommunications cables in Swedish waters in October.
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte announced on Friday that military presence in the Baltic Sea would be strengthened to deter further acts of sabotage.
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