Russia denies cutting Baltic Sea cables amid rising tensions

Russia on Wednesday denied claims it was responsible for damage to two fiber-optic telecommunication cables in the Baltic Sea over the weekend, News.az reports citing Deutsche Welle.

European governments accused Moscow on Tuesday of escalating hybrid attacks on Ukraine's Western allies, days after one cable running between Finland and Germany, and another going between Sweden and Lithuania, were severed.

European officials stopped short of accusing Russia of destroying the cables but Germany, Poland and others suggested it was an act of sabotage.

Kremlin: Absurd to blame Russia for everything

"It is quite absurd to continue to blame Russia for everything without any reason," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said at a regular news briefing.

"It is probably laughable against the background of the lack of any reaction to Ukraine's sabotage activities in the Baltic Sea," he said, referring to Nord Stream gas pipeline blasts that occurred in September 2022. Russia puts the responsibility for those explosions on Ukraine and its Western allies.

In the latest incident, one cable went out of service on Sunday morning, the other less than 24 hours later.

News.Az