Rise in sabotage incidents is putting critical services at risk, say telecoms companies

Summary

NATO has been warned of potential global internet blackouts amid a surge in suspected Russian sabotage of subsea fibre optic cables.

Telecom giants like Vodafone, Telefonica, and Orange urged UK, EU, and NATO officials to classify the undersea cable network as critical infrastructure.

Since October 2023, at least 11 cables have been damaged in the Baltic Sea, with over 50 Russian vessels spotted nearby. The UK is monitoring the Russian spy ship Yantar.

Officials also raised concerns about Chinese activity near Taiwan and called for increased surveillance and international cooperation.