Two undersea telecommunication cables in the Baltic Sea have been found to be severed or damaged, prompting authorities in the affected countries to open an investigation.

Germany and Finland announced in a joint statement on Monday that a cable connecting the two countries had been severed.

A day earlier, damage was also discovered to a cable connecting Sweden and Lithuania. This caused disruptions to internet services in Lithuania.

Restoration of the cables is expected to take about two weeks.

Authorities in Sweden and Finland are now investigating the incidents, including the vessels that were navigating nearby at the time.

On Tuesday, German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said, “Nobody believes that these cables were accidentally cut.” He added that the affected countries must assume that it is sabotage.

He expressed a sense of vigilance toward Russia without directly naming the country. Russia is believed to be mounting “hybrid” attacks, or attempts to cause disruption by combining military and non-military methods.

In 2022, explosions occurred on the Nord Stream natural gas pipelines in the Baltic Sea. Despite an ongoing investigation, it remains unknown who was involved.