Russian attacks on undersea cables 'most serious threat' to our infrastructure' - NATO

NATO's senior expert on cyber and hybrid threats says the persistent attacks on undersea cables across Europe is “the most active threat" to Western infrastructure. 

Acting Assistant Secretary General for Innovation Hybrid and Cyber, James Appathurai says recent attacks on the communications cables attributed by the alliance to Russia is part of a significant growth in cyber, hybrid and other interference in Europe. 

Early in November two cables were severed in the Baltic Sea between Sweden and Lithuania and another between Germany and Finland immediately alarming member states and NATO concerned about sabotage. 

‘The Russians are carrying out a program they have had for decades. It's called the Russian Undersea Research Program, which is a euphemism for a paramilitary structure, very well-funded, that is mapping out all of our cables and our energy pipelines”, says Appathurai.

‘It has so-called research ships. They have little submarines underneath. They have unmanned, uncrewed, remotely operated vehicles they have divers and explosives’, he tells Euronews’ Europe Conversation. 

In Germany, Finland, the governments were quick to lay blame at potential saboteurs for the apparent attacks on the cables. 

“No one believes that the cables were accidentally damaged. I also don’t want to believe that the ships’ anchors caused the damage by accident,” said German Defense Minister Boris Pistorious.  

Finnish Defense Minister Antti Häkkänen said Nato needed to do a lot more to defend Western critical infrastructure. 

Sweden said an investigation into the cables is now underway. 

"Russia is systematically attacking European security architecture”, said a joint statement from foreign ministers of Germany, France, Poland, Italy, Spain and