: NATO believes the Kremlin could deploy a new weapon against the rest of the world - sparking "worldwide blackouts" by sabotaging undersea cables with its "shadow fleet". The bosses of firms like Vodafone, Orange and Telefonica, have written an open letter to the UK, EU and NATO warning that the "defenceless" cables can easily be destroyed or disrupted by Russia after a series of attacks.
In the letter, the companies said: "The repercussions of damage to subsea cables extend far beyond Europe, potentially affecting global internet and power infrastructure, international communications, financial transactions and critical services worldwide.
"Subsea cable security must be a cornerstone of broader infrastructure protection efforts. By acting now, we can safeguard the networks that underpin our shared future."
Around 95 per cent of the data transmitted across the world is carried on more than 500 cables that crisscross the seabed. In recent months, there have been a number of attacks already on the vital links.
In the past, the attacks have drawn condemnation from world leaders and defence chiefs who pin the blame squarely on Putin.
While Russia denies any involvement, most countries are convinced Putin's at the helm of the sabotage after seeing Russia's commercial shadow fleet in the area at the time.
https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/world-new ... e-35035701
