The Facts
Communication across two fiber optic cables running across the Baltic Sea were disrupted this past week, sparking fears they were intentionally severed by acts of sabotage.
The first cable to go down — a 135-mile (218 km) internet link between Lithuania and the Swedish island of Gotland — went offline at roughly 0800 GMT on Sunday, according to a Lithuanian subsidiary of Sweden's Telia Company.
The Spin
While the severing of these telecommunications cables was not directly blamed on Russia, that conclusion cannot be ruled out given the recent reports that show Russia has developed the capabilities to carry out such acts of sabotage.
Western officials have a funny way of leaking certain stories to the press before similar actions involving those specified take place. This can be interpreted as a way of sowing the seeds of who to blame in the public's minds while covering the officials' tracks.
