U.S. Must Improve Response to Subsea Cable Sabotage, Lawmakers Warn
Officials call for stronger sanctions and improved monitoring for undersea infrastructure.
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.
