Monday, December 30

Finnish authorities have confirmed the existence of drag marks near the location of a severed cable in the Baltic Sea, which comes just after a ship carrying Russian oil was arrested in the area.

An underwater power line and four communication cables traveling between Finland and Estonia were cut on Christmas Day, sparking extensive investigations into yet another incident involving fiber-optic cables.

Fiber-optic cables are wires that consist of long, thin strands of glass or plastic within a protective tube. The material inside the casing is used to transmit encoded light pulses at the speed of light, allowing for quick, easy transportation of signals. There are over 930,000 miles of fiber-optic cables across the seafloor that carry over 95% of the world's international data and voice transfers, including emails, texts, and financial transactions.

In addition, a power line was severed-- it is known as Estlink 2 and is an important cable that allows Estonia and Finland to send electricity to each other. Unfortunately, the break in Estlink 2 has caused a significant reduction in Estonia's power supply, and Finland expects it to take upwards of 6 months to fix the cable. However, Estonia has confirmed that they have plenty of electricity-generating sources to make up for the loss.

After the cables were cut, the Eagle S, an oil tanker registered under the Cook Islands, was arrested by Finnish officials, and the ship was escorted into Finnish waters soon after. The crew onboard are currently being questioned by authorities.

Meanwhile, an investigation into the cable-cutting took place. While undersea cables can be damaged by sea life or natural occurrences, it is rare, and five different cables all suffering issues in a small period of time clearly displayed that there was sabotage involved. Upon investigation, Finnish officials quickly discovered drag marks along the seafloor that stretch for miles. Drag marks are usually created when a ship drags its anchor along the seabed, which is the easiest way to rupture cables. The anchor from the suspected ship has not been found yet, though.

The European Union heavily suspects Russia to be at fault, primarily due to their involvement with several other incidents. The EU believes that Russia maintains a "shadow fleet" of ships registered under other companies from other countries to cover up their covert operations following the beginning of the Russia-Ukraine War-- many of which involve destroying European infrastructure. The Kremlin has declined to comment.

This incident comes just one month after another incident involving a ship with Russian connections. In November, the Arelion cable connecting Sweden's Gotland island and Lithuania and the C-Lion 1 cable connecting Finland and Germany were both severed. The Chinese-flagged Yi Peng 3 is suspected to have cut the cables by dragging its anchor, and it was boarded by NATO authorities soon after. However, it was released last week.

NATO has decided to increase the number of ships they maintain in the Baltic Sea to protect undersea cables, and Estonia's navy has done the same. Unfortunately, it is impossible to protect every foot of these cables, some of which stretch for hundreds of miles. Concerns over the vulnerability of fiber-optic cables and the rising prevalence of hybrid warfare have been rising in recent years, and its usage by NATO's opposition could rise even further in the future.

Upcoming Events:

• New Year's Eve (Tuesday, December 31)

• New Year's Day (Wednesday, January 1)

• Kwanzaa Ends (Wednesday, January 1)

• World Braille Day (Saturday, January 4)

Fact of the Day: V is the only letter in the English language that is never silent.

Quote of the Day: Whether you think you can or you think you can't-- you're right. (Henry Ford)

Word of the Day (Merriam-Webster): Linchpin (noun, LINCH-pin) - Linchpin, sometimes spelled lynchpin, literally refers to a locking pin inserted crosswise, as at the end of an axle or shaft. In figurative use, linchpin refers to a person or thing that serves to hold together parts or elements that exist or function as a unit; such a linchpin is often understood as the most important part of a complex situation or system.

In a Sentence: Investors are betting that the new product line will be the linchpin that secures the company's place in the very competitive market in the years and decades to come.