Two undersea cables in Baltic Sea disrupted (cnn.com)

Article summary

Two undersea internet cables in the Baltic Sea have been disrupted, with one cable between Lithuania and Sweden being cut and another cable linking Finland and Germany also experiencing a fault. The cause of the disruptions is unclear, but there are concerns about possible Russian interference with global undersea infrastructure. The US has detected an increase in Russian military activity around deep sea telecommunications cables, and there are warnings of possible 'hybrid warfare'. Repairs are underway, but the extent of the disruption and its impact are still being assessed.

Main themes

• Undersea cable disruption
• Russian interference
• Hybrid warfare
• Global infrastructure security
• NATO and European security

What commenters say

• The cutting of undersea cables is a dangerous escalation that could lead to further conflict and should be taken seriously by Western navies.
• The disruption of internet cables is not as immediately harmful as actual bombs, and the focus should be on avoiding military conflict rather than escalating tensions.
• The West should prioritize resilience and redundancy in its network infrastructure rather than relying on military action to defend against sabotage.
• Russia's actions are a form of 'high-stakes bullying' that will continue to push boundaries unless met with a strong response from the international community.
• The use of cheap drones or other monitoring technologies could be an effective way to deter or detect sabotage attempts on undersea cables.
• The difficulty of patrolling and defending undersea cables in international waters makes it a challenging problem to address through military means.
• Some argue that the West's military might is no longer a sufficient deterrent, and a new approach is needed to address the threat of hybrid warfare.
• Others believe that the focus should be on diplomacy and avoiding escalation, rather than taking a hardline stance against Russian aggression.