Finland to disconnect fiber-optic link to Russia as lease expires

Finland's state-owned grid operator Fingrid has confirmed it will take a fiber-optic telecommunications link to Russia out of service when the lease ends, removing cross-border infrastructure left after electricity trade stopped in 2022; officials expect the impact on internet connectivity to be limited as traffic can be rerouted, and the action is framed within deteriorating Finland–Russia relations and previous warnings about Russian influence on critical infrastructure.