Infrastructure

U.S. Must Improve Response to Subsea Cable Sabotage, Lawmakers Warn

Officials call for stronger sanctions and improved monitoring for undersea infrastructure.

Georgina Mackie

Georgina Mackie

— 3 min read
U.S. Must Improve Response to Subsea Cable Sabotage, Lawmakers Warn
Photo of Sen. Jim Risch, R-Idaho, Chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

WASHINGTON, May 4, 2026 – Senators warned Thursday of growing national security risks tied to undersea cables.

Subsea cables carry more than 95 percent of global telecommunications traffic and transmit more than $10 trillion in financial transactions daily, Sen. Jim Risch, R-Idaho, chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said in opening remarks at a committee hearing centered on sabotage in the Baltic Sea.

“Since 2022, there have been at least eight undersea sabotage incidents in the Baltic Sea,” Risch said, adding they are likely the responsibility of Russia. 

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Infrastructure Jim Risch Russia China Taiwan Senate Foreign Relations Committee Benjamin Schmit University of Pennsylvania Baltic Sea NATO James O’Brien Jeanne Shaheen

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