‘Sabotage cannot be ruled out’: Baltic Sea power cable suffers Christmas Day cut – Washington Examiner
On Christmas Day, a power cable linking finland and Estonia under the Baltic Sea experienced a power outage, raising concerns and prompting an investigation, as stated by the Finnish prime Minister. The incident has led to speculation about possible sabotage, adding urgency to the inquiry regarding the Estline 2 connection’s electrical transmission. The Christmas Day power cable outage between Finland and Estonia has sparked meaningful concern and speculation,especially in light of ongoing geopolitical tensions in the region. Finnish Prime Minister has emphasized the need for a thorough investigation into the incident,which involves the Estline 2 connection. With rising suspicions of potential sabotage, authorities are focusing on the circumstances surrounding the outage and evaluating the integrity of the power infrastructure.
Both countries rely heavily on this interconnection for energy exchange and stability, making any disruption especially impactful. As investigators look into the technical aspects of the outage, they are also considering broader security implications. The situation underscores the vulnerabilities in critical infrastructure and the importance of ensuring the resilience of energy systems amidst rising geopolitical risks. The outcome of the investigation will likely have significant repercussions for future energy cooperation and security protocols between Finland and Estonia.
‘Sabotage cannot be ruled out’: Baltic Sea power cable suffers Christmas Day cut
A power cable connecting Finland and Estonia under the Baltic Sea suffered a power outage on Wednesday, prompting an investigation, according to the Finnish prime minister.
The electrical transmission through the Estline 2 connection between the two European nations was cut on Wednesday afternoon local time. Arto Pakhin, Fingrid’s operations manager, told a local news organization that “the possibility of sabotage cannot be ruled out.”
Finnish authorities said they took control of an oil tanker on Thursday traveling from Russia under the suspicion that it could be responsible for the outage.
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“From our side we are investigating grave sabotage,” Robin Lardot, Director of the Finnish National Bureau of Investigation, said, according to Reuters. “According to our understanding an anchor of the vessel that is under investigation has caused the damage.”
The Eagle S Panamax oil tanker crossed the Estlink 2 electricity cable at the same time as when Fingrid said the power outage occurred, per a Reuters review of MarineTraffic ship tracking data.
A statement from Fingrid acknowledged that the repairs needed “is estimated to take several months,” and issues could rise during cold periods.
“The Estlink 2 electricity transmission connection between Finland and Estonia has been disconnected this afternoon,” Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo said. “Authorities are still on standby over Christmas and are investigating the matter. The interruption of the transmission connection will not affect the electricity supply of Finns.”
Estonian Foreign Affairs Minister Margus Tsahkna spoke with Finland’s Minister of Foreign Affair Elina Valtonen to discuss the attack. Tsahkna said they “can’t rule out deliberate damage to the cable,” and added, “there have been too many incidents at Baltic Sea that coincidences are becoming unlikely.”
This is the latest incident in a string of them regarding the undersea infrastructure in the Baltic.
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Two data cables were cut in November — one that ran from Finland and Germany and the other between Lithuania and Sweden. Germany’s defense minister said at the time that the assumption was that it was an act of sabotage.
The Nord Stream natural gas pipelines connecting Russia and Germany were damaged in underwater explosions in 2022.
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