An unexplained fault has disabled the C-Lion1 undersea telecommunications cable connecting Finland and Germany, telecommunications company Cinia reported on Monday.
The cable stretches nearly 1,200 kilometers between Helsinki and Rostock, representing the only direct communication link between Finland and central Europe. It runs near other critical infrastructure like gas pipelines and power cables.
Cinia is currently investigating the cause of the cable failure. The malfunction occurs weeks after the United States warned about increased Russian military activity around undersea communication infrastructure.
A repair vessel stands ready to address the cable issue. Typically, submarine cable repairs take between five and 15 days, though the exact repair timeline remains uncertain.
The full impact of the cable fault is not yet clear. Most critical data networks use multiple cable routes to prevent complete communication disruption.
This incident follows previous concerns about potential underwater cable vulnerabilities in Nordic waters, including a 2023 investigation suggesting Russian spy ships might target such infrastructure.
Cinia has not yet provided additional details about the cable’s malfunction.
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