Suspicion of Sabotage After Damage to Baltic Submarine Cable Raises Alarm
Last Wednesday, a submarine cable connecting Finland and Estonia was damaged in the Baltic Sea, prompting Finnish authorities to open an investigation into the incident. As the investigation unfolds, officials have not ruled out the possibility of sabotage, a viewpoint echoed by NATO, the defense alliance to which both Finland and Estonia belong.
In a cautious approach, Finnish authorities intercepted a suspicious ship sailing from Russia, bringing it into national waters for further examination. The vessel, identified as an oil tanker registered in the Cook Islands, was escorted by the Finnish Border Guards patrol vessel to an area about 20 kilometers from Porkkalaniemi, located in the Gulf of Finland. The ship's unexpected location raised suspicions among officials who suspect it may have been involved in cutting the submarine cable and three vital internet lines connecting the two nations.
Robin Lardot, director of the Finnish National Bureau of Investigation, stated, "On our part, we are investigating a serious sabotage. As we understand it, an anchor from the ship being investigated has caused the damages." This incident marks the latest in a series of recent events related to damage inflicted on telecommunications cables and energy conduits in the area.
The Finnish customs service has seized the cargo of the tanker, believed to belong to an enigmatic fleet of aging Russian oil tankers that evade sanctions on Russian oil sales. The European Union has focused on this questionable fleet within its upcoming sanctions package, the fourteenth, aimed at addressing hybrid warfare threats.
Prime Minister of Finland, Petteri Orpo, was among the first to communicate the disruption of the Estlink 2 electrical transmission connection between Finland and Estonia. The current interruption, reported by the Finnish operator of the national electricity transmission network, Fingrid, occurred around 12:26 PM. Although essential routines would manage with the available supply, the incident is expected to cause power cuts in Finland, as the Estonian network operator, Elering, confirmed sufficient backup capacity to maintain energy needs on its side.
Recovery efforts are anticipated to take as long as seven months, especially as the Estlink 2 had already faced previous malfunctions this year. Fingrid's head of operations, Arto Pahkin, noted that the possibility of sabotage cannot be dismissed outright, leading Finnish police to investigate whether the foreign Russian vessel was indeed responsible for the disruption.
In the wake of these incidents, both Finnish and Estonian governments held extraordinary meetings to review the situation, with Baltic countries on high alert for potential acts of sabotage, especially after multiple infrastructure incidents following Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. For instance, two cables were cut last November: one linking Finland and Germany, and another connecting Lithuania and Sweden. Moreover, a Finnish-Estonian underwater gas pipeline was damaged earlier this October, allegedly due to a Chinese freighter dropping its anchor in the vicinity.
Recently, the Nord Stream gas pipeline was also compromised by underwater explosions, suspected to be acts of sabotage, which led authorities to initiate criminal investigations across the Baltic Sea region.
In response to these matters, NATO Secretary General Marc Rutte assured solidarity during a conversation with Estonian Prime Minister Kristen Michal, emphasizing the alliance's readiness to provide support and monitoring the investigations closely.
The European Commission also issued a statement condemning any deliberate destruction of critical infrastructure, emphasizing their collaboration with Finnish authorities during the investigation. Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, acknowledged Finland's prompt action in addressing the situation and reiterated a collective commitment to bolster the security and resilience of European infrastructure, mentioning proposals for additional measures, including sanctions against the shadow fleet.
Overall, this incident involving submarine cables in the Baltic Sea exemplifies rising tensions and security threats to critical infrastructure in Europe. The EU's focus on enhancing protections for submarine cables, including improved detection technologies and international cooperation, speaks to the escalating concerns surrounding such incidents, highlighting the political and environmental implications that accompany them.
Related Sources: