Finland has no reason to suspect that the cutting of two land-based fiber optic cables was a criminal act, police said today, as authorities and cable owners work to determine the exact cause of the incident.

Scandinavian telecom companies GlobalConnect and Elisa reported that one of the cable cuts, which occurred on Monday, is likely linked to excavation work. GlobalConnect is still investigating the second incident.

Finnish police are focused on determining what happened and have not initiated a criminal investigation at this stage.

“Based on the information we have so far, we have no reason to suspect a crime in this case,” said Inspector Timo Saukoniemi of Finland’s National Police.

One of the cables had been repaired by this morning. The incident follows recent cuts to two undersea fiber optic telecommunications cables in the Baltic Sea, which raised suspicions of potential sabotage.

“Authorities are investigating the matter jointly with the company. We are taking the situation seriously,” said Finland’s Minister of Transport and Communications, Lulu Ranne, in a post on platform X.

The cuts occurred on a cable link between Finland and Sweden, according to a representative of the Swedish Post and Telecom Authority.

“Given the circumstances surrounding the incident, there is suspicion of sabotage,” said Sweden’s Minister of Civil Defense, Carl-Oskar Bohlin, in a statement.