It is likely that the disruptions of underwater cables that have been worrying European security agencies in recent months are due to accidents at sea, rather than “Russian sabotage” according to the assessment of several American and European intelligence officials, as reported by the Washington Post.
The findings reflect a growing consensus between American and European security services. This is reported by high-ranking officials from three countries, who are involved in the ongoing investigations of a series of incidents in which critical energy and communication lines on the seafloor were cut.
Western media have repeatedly claimed in recent weeks that Russia is “targeting underwater infrastructure across Europe as part of a broader campaign of hybrid attacks.” The suspicion led to increased security measures, including the announcement by NATO last week to launch new patrol and surveillance operations in the Baltic Sea.
However, so far, the investigations, in which the United States and half a dozen European security services are involved, have found no evidence that merchant ships, which are suspected of dragging anchors over the seafloor, did so intentionally or on Moscow’s orders, the Washington Post reported.
Instead, American and European officials say that the evidence gathered so far, including intercepted communications and other secret information, points to accidents caused by inexperienced crews on board and poorly maintained ships.
Recently, Finland seized an oil tanker, which is suspected of dragging its anchor over an underwater power line between Finland and Estonia. Finnish authorities claimed that the Eagle S belongs to a “shadow fleet” of tankers that Moscow is using to help circumvent international sanctions and sell oil on the global market.