Germany and Finland say they are "deeply concerned" after an undersea cable linking the countries was severed.The rupture of the 1,170km (730-mile) telecommunications cable - which is being investigated - comes at a time of heightened tension with Russia.

Germany’s defense minister said damage to two fiber-optic cables on the sea floor appeared deliberate, but a culprit was not known.

The C-Lion1 cable between Finland and Germany was severed in the Baltic Sea, its operator said, after damage was reported to another cable linking Lithuania and Sweden.