Lithuanian experts are examining damage to an undersea fibre-optic cable connecting the country to Latvia, the NKVC crisis management centre reported on Monday, January 5th. The damage—first detected on January 2nd—was initially reported by Latvian authorities.
Vilmantas Vitkauskas, head of the NKVC, said it is too early to determine whether Russia was involved and that the possible consequences of the incident are still being assessed. Latvia’s Prime Minister Evika Silina confirmed the disruption has not affected local telecommunications.
Latvian police initially suspected a vessel docking in a Baltic port might have caused the damage, but they later stated there is no evidence linking the ship to the incident.
The cable, owned by Arelion, is currently undergoing repairs, and the company said it is cooperating with authorities across the Baltic Sea region to determine the cause. The investigation comes after a string of similar undersea cable and power line incidents in the area since 2023, often attributed to Russian hybrid warfare.