Europe on Alert Over Suspected Sabotage of Undersea Cables (theguardian.com) 63
European nations have heightened security after a series of suspected sabotage attacks on submarine infrastructure in the Baltic Sea, with officials increasingly pointing to Russia as the likely culprit.
Finnish authorities detained the tanker Eagle S in December after it allegedly damaged three undersea fiber-optic connections with Estonia and one with Germany. The vessel, carrying Russian oil as part of a "shadow fleet" evading sanctions, made suspicious course changes while crossing cable routes.
In November, two more submarine cables in the Baltic were damaged, with investigations focusing on Chinese-owned cargo ship Yi Peng 3, which reduced speed near the cables and turned off its transponder. NATO launched Baltic Sentry in January to enhance surveillance, deploying ships and naval drones off Estonia's coast. The alliance also established a coordination cell following the 2022 Nord Stream pipeline sabotage.
Russia has denied involvement, accusing NATO of using "myths" to increase its Baltic presence.
Finnish authorities detained the tanker Eagle S in December after it allegedly damaged three undersea fiber-optic connections with Estonia and one with Germany. The vessel, carrying Russian oil as part of a "shadow fleet" evading sanctions, made suspicious course changes while crossing cable routes.
In November, two more submarine cables in the Baltic were damaged, with investigations focusing on Chinese-owned cargo ship Yi Peng 3, which reduced speed near the cables and turned off its transponder. NATO launched Baltic Sentry in January to enhance surveillance, deploying ships and naval drones off Estonia's coast. The alliance also established a coordination cell following the 2022 Nord Stream pipeline sabotage.
Russia has denied involvement, accusing NATO of using "myths" to increase its Baltic presence.
comrade trump (Score:1, Troll)
Well, we all know that trump went through a lot with putin, this is just one more of these things. Estonians should just stop playing with WWIII, it's obvious who is on the wrong side here.
What will the White House say? (Score:4, Insightful)
Good job, Russia and China?
Re: (Score:1)
The blame will get placed one or more of the following:
DEI
Immigrants
Biden
"woke"
Obama
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Biden has been dead for years. He's a zombie controlled by Obama's Kenyan Muslim evil juju.
WAKE UP, SHEEPLE!
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The blame will get placed one or more of the following: DEI, Immigrants, Biden, "woke", Obama
Just wait until a transoceanic cable gets cut ... :-) or *sigh*
Obligatory OrangeGPT (Score:5, Insightful)
Orangie: "We can't have trans-oceanic cables, they must either be male-oceanic cables or female-oceanic cables! Thus, I signed an Executive Order that insists nature only makes two types of cables: male and female. If you plug in a trans cable, shit blows up, just like paper straws, everybody's seen it, believe me!"
"By the way, the submarine that changed the cable's gender was driven by DEI pilots and hired by Joe Biden, the worst submarine commander since Stockton Rush, the Titanic tour guide who built a cheesy submarine out of paper straws. So cheesy, even Eric wouldn't lick it.
The sub went bing bing, bong bong, boom! Rush probably also a DEI, so many, unbelievable. So is Eric, but family gets a pass because family is Christian values, and we are the most familiest of families ever seen, Jesus J. Christ gives us awards, so blessed!"
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Orangie: "We can't have trans-oceanic cables, they must either be male-oceanic cables or female-oceanic cables! Thus, I signed an Executive Order that insists nature only makes two types of cables: male and female.
And, of course, Monster will make them and they will be gold. :-)
Re: What will the White House say? (Score:3)
Bottom-of-the-ocean surgery on a cable that's only 15 years old????
Re: What will the White House say? (Score:1)
You leave your door open and you get robbed. Yeah it's the crook's fault for stealing but it's also your fault for not securing your property.
You lay a cable out in international waters and predicate the functioning of your "knowledge economy" on the integrity of that cable. Yeah it's at least a little your fault when your adversary cuts it to hurt you.
That having been said, the mentality of "we live by international law and thus don't have to worry about the cable being cut" is a mentality I'd pin on Obama
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it's at least a little your fault when your adversary cuts it to hurt you
No it is not. What's wrong with you?
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but it's also your fault for not securing your property.
Totally. If she hadn't been wearing that skirt, she wouldn't have gotten raped, now would she have?
mentality of "we live by international law and thus don't have to worry about the cable being cut" is a mentality I'd pin on Obama and Biden and "woke"
Yes... Obama and Biden invented international law.
Every administration before them kept a constant deployment of 70 aircraft carriers for quick response along the length of each undersea cable to defend them from attacks.
You're a fucking idiot.
Trump is controlled by Russia (Score:3, Insightful)
I would love to be wrong, but nothing else explains his actions since becoming president.
Even Musk's right-leaning AI, Grok, agrees: https://x.com/jeffreymlevy/status/1897013490067685745
Is there nothing America can now do to save itself from total Russian control ?
Re: (Score:2, Troll)
I agree that it is looking more and more likely. What boggles the mind is how the Republican party goes along with this. Isn't Russia supposed to be evil central?
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Isn't Russia supposed to be evil central?
They like power more than they hate Russia.
Re: Trump is controlled by Russia (Score:4, Insightful)
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Re: Trump is controlled by Russia (Score:2)
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/u... [cbsnews.com]
https://www.cybersecuritydive.... [cybersecuritydive.com]
https://www.cybersecuritydive.... [cybersecuritydive.com]
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When did China last attack the west?
Today.
Re: Trump is controlled by Russia (Score:2)
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The reason is that Republican party is not stuck with the conspiracy theories of the left. After having hired a russian spy to create documents that trump hired male prostitutes to piss on him the left has now switched that trump is a paid russian spy.
At least get your conspiracies straight. It was female prostitutes and it was a bed that Obama had supposedly slept on. But keep up that projection. Plus I doubt that video of orange jesus getting pissed on would dissuade any of his cult members. After all he's free to grab women by the pussy, walk down 5th Avenue and shoot someone, and is free to mock all the disabled people he pleases. https://www.bbc.com/news/world... [bbc.com] All the women who support him suddenly don't think it's funny if you asked if their dau
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The former might be one of many ways Russia is using to control Trump.
No-one mentioned that he is being paid.
It does not matter so much HOW Trump is being controlled by an enemy power, and telling that you argue that way,.
The FACTS are: Russia is the main threat now - IT INVADED AN ALLY FFS! - and Trump is actively supporting them.
Thats easy (Score:2)
Cut their cables
Re: (Score:2)
Have their ships experience unexplained explosions in their engines.
Re: Thats easy (Score:3)
Or explained explosions caused by anti-ship missiles and/or torpedoes.
Make it very clear to the ship crews: screw around with the cables and it will be the last thing you ever do.
Re: Thats easy (Score:2)
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Europe wants nothing to do with that. Not that they couldn't weather it, mind you, it's a cost I just don't see them paying at this point in their history.
Re: Thats easy (Score:1)
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Really, sink a completely full oil tanker? Who's gonna clean that up?
Board and confiscate, yea that might work if anyone has the courage to try it. Sink? Um. Nope. Too much environmental damage doing it that way.
"shadow fleet" evading sanctions (Score:1)
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the US thinking it has some sort of worldwide authority to impose sanctions.....
the rest of the world is sick of it too.
time to pull your heads in, and stop being bullies. those you've bullied are positioning themselves to lay an ass whooping that will be a hell of a lot more damaging to the US economy than being respectful, humble, cooperative international community members.
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the US thinking it has some sort of worldwide authority to impose sanctions.....
the rest of the world is sick of it too.
time to pull your heads in, and stop being bullies. those you've bullied are positioning themselves to lay an ass whooping that will be a hell of a lot more damaging to the US economy than being respectful, humble, cooperative international community members.
Whether or not we have the "authority" or not is not the point. The point is they never hurt anyone but the peasants. And as far as being a bully is concerned, in case you haven't notice, the biggest and the strongest always rule you might as well accept that. The world is made up of a bunch of tribes, an 'international community' is fantasy.
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the US thinking it has some sort of worldwide authority to impose sanctions
Yes that's right comrade. Please note the sanctions on your country.
Those you've bullied are positioning themselves to lay an ass whooping
Indeed! Beware the wrath of Cuba, Belarus, and east bumf***.
Re: "shadow fleet" evading sanctions (Score:2)
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the rest of the world is sick of it too
Speak for yourself Ivan.
China (Score:2)
I recall they released the Yi Peng 3 almost immediately after their perfunctory "investigation."
Maybe Europe needs to stop being a cuck player in the world. Don't like Russians and Chinese fucking with your cables and your neighbors? Arm up. The days of lounging in the NATO hammock and feathering your nest have ended. And yes, that does mean that cheering for US rivals isn't going to be as fun as it has been: no more being the perpetual nice guys while those cowboys in 'murica keep everything between
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Wow what a bleak, dystopian future you are proposing. It's almost like you forgot why it was that the US was so involved in the world in the first place. Hint, it made you into the most powerful, peaceful, and productive nation in the world. US leaders knew that investing in other nations paid back in spades by building a world where peace led to prosperity here at home. The rising tide lifts all boats. Sinking all the boats along with your own doesn't seem to have a good effect on anyone.
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It's not without problems but Pax Americana [wikipedia.org] has on the net been a very good thing. For America, for Europe and generally the rest of the world.
It's looking to be coming to an end so maybe I get proven very wrong or very correct on that, frankly I wasn't quite ready to find out like this.
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We are also going to find out what a world where everyone has nuclear weapons looks like. We explicitly promised Ukraine that we would support them in exchange for surrendering their nuclear stockpile. Now that we've broken that promise nobody will believe that our 'nuclear umbrella' will protect them.
Taiwan, Japan and South Korea want nukes to deter China *now*; Taiwan may already have some. Many countries will follow Iran's lead.
A planet where every government, stable and unstable, has WMDs is going to b
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That's where Zelenskyy was spot on in saying that any ceasefire or agreement has to have a real guarantee which is something Budapest did not have, there was "Article 5" style clause, it was taken on good faith and look where that's got them.
And exactly right on Taiwan, why would they expect help from the USA now?
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If Europe wants to participate in maintaining Pax Americana, they're free to join in. They were badgered by Trump years ago for being too passive when it came to their own defense and in choosing where they purchase their natgas.
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US leaders knew that investing in other nations paid back in spades
That lasted from the end of WW2 until about 1970. Everything since then has been at the expense of the US. All the defense spending building a planet scale military, alone. All of the "free trade" crushing our industrial base. All of it.
And it's finally over. The meal ticket has expired. Enjoy.
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why did no republicans try and fix it?
Republicans? You're joking, right? The party of free trade, disposable overseas labor, exporting industry to the least regulated hellholes on Earth: "It's good for consumers!"
Republicans are at least as guilty as any single faction you can name. The trade crimes of Republicans are right there at the top of the American sell-out policies that have been ruining the US. They were right there with Clinton in the 90's when MFN status was given to China. They were right there for NAFTA, fully realizing the
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The days of USA calling the shots in NATO have also ended. Welcome to the new international mutual defense pact, in which USA is welcome to sit in the corner until proving itself worthy to participate.
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I'll believe all this when I see a German stealth fighter or a Spanish flat top carrier. Until then, you're our bitch, and the degree to which we give any shits about your troubles with China and Russia is not your prerogative. That's how the world has always worked, like it or not, and none of your favorite whipping boys are to blame. Sack up or shut up.
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Always? The US is a fairly recent phenomenon, and unlikely to last as long as e.g. the Roman empire.
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The US isn't an Empire, unless you really, really stretch the meaning of that word. I don't see Canada and Mexico coming in and sacking Washington.
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Like, totally, dude. [wikipedia.org]
There's a reason the current Secretary-General of NATO, Mark Rutte, a Dutchman, told Zelenskyy that he had to "find a way to restore his relationship with the American president".
Your America-hate is cute, but let's be realistic- we are your shield, and no matter what your internet keyboard warriors say, your politicians and military officials know what's up.
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informed people don't believe this garbage any more.
So, what do you "informed" people believe these days? I assume you have some concrete proof over who is responsible? At least some proof that it's not Russia? Maybe just some concepts of proof? Something "very soon" to share with the rest of us?
Whoopsie! (Score:4, Funny)
We appear to have snagged something with our anchor. Shame if it was your fiber optic line.
Wait! There appears to be something [wp.com] entangled with our anchor as we hoist it back aboard.
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Shit, Corona virus mutated into a metallic form! Bill Gates' Deep State vax's did this! Lockem up!
Blow them up (Score:2)
Step up, democracies (Score:2)
I can write the diplomatic response - "we know nothing about these little green men you speak of."
Just in time! (Score:2)
Just in time to sabotage any peace deal in Ukraine. Next thing, the Russians will blow up their own gas pipelines, again.
The 2022 Nord Stream pipeline sabotage (Score:2)
The Russians sabataged their own pipeline
Decapitation Strike (Score:2)
Fire upon any vessel that comes within 2km of an undersea cable with overwhelming force.
Once the source of severing a cable is determined, mount a decapitation strike against the offending nation.