European officials are looking toward Russia after two submarine internet cables in the Baltic Sea were suddenly disrupted in an apparent sabotage operation, just weeks after the United States warned that Moscow was likely to target critical undersea infrastructure.

Two data cables running along the Baltic seabed were cut in quick succession, government authorities and telecoms companies said.

The C-Lion1 cable between Finland and Germany was severed in the Baltic Sea, its operator said, after damage was reported to another cable linking Lithuania and Sweden.

As undersea cables are cut, Finland and Germany say Europe is threated not only bt Russia's war in Ukraine, but "from hybrid warfare by malicious actors."

Germany has said that “sabotage” was likely behind the recent damage to communications cables in the Baltic Sea, as Sweden reported damage to a second underwater link.