Finland, Estonia See Likely Sabotage in Damage to Pipeline

BY GEORGI KANTCHEV group of Ukrainians. An unusual drop in pressure

Ukraine and Russia have
denied having anything to do
Finland and Estonia said
with the explosions.
damage to a natural-gas pipe-
The Nord Stream blasts ex-
line and communications ca-
posed the vulnerability of Eu-
ble linking the two North At-
rope’s infrastructure to physical
lantic Treaty Organization
attacks, spurring governments
members likely resulted from
to protect the pipelines, energy
sabotage, rekindling concerns
grids and natural-gas terminals
about the safety of Europe’s
that keep Europe’s lights on
critical infrastructure.
and homes heated.
The damage was discovered
Over the weekend, authori-
days after the first anniver-
ties shut the undersea
sary of the destruction of the
Balticconnector between
Nord Stream pipelines linking
Finland and Estonia after de-
Germany and Russia, an attack
tecting a suspected leak in
that accelerated a reshaping
the 48-mile offshore section
of Europe’s energy map and
of the pipeline. In addition,
greatly limited Russia’s ability
Finnish authorities found a
to supply energy to the region.
fault in a communication ca-
Authorities in the region have
ble between Finland and Es-
since said the destruction of
tonia.
those pipelines by powerful
Around the same time, a
explosions was deliberate but
telecommunications cable
haven’t officially identified a
linking Estonia to Finland, ly-
suspect. U.S. suspicions have
ing about 230 feet below the
increasingly centered on a
Baltic Sea, ceased transmit-
ting data, Estonian Defense
Minister Hanno Pevkur added.
The cable is one of Estonia’s
nine such connections to the
surrounding countries, and its
rupture won’t inflict any no-
ticeable disruption to internet
service, he added.
On Tuesday, Finnish Presi-
dent Sauli Niinistö said the
damage to the gas pipeline
shortly before 2 a.m. Sunday
and the cable was likely the
prompted the Finnish and Es-
result of “external activity.”
tonian gas-system operators to
He said the incident had no
shut the pipeline’s valves and
impact on the country’s secu-
halt gas transmission. The gas
rity of supply. “The damage to
leak caused by the damage to
the underwater infrastructure
the pipeline has been stopped,
has been taken seriously and
according to Gasgrid Finland,
its causes have been investi-
the Finnish state-owned trans-
gated since Sunday,” he said.
mission-system operator.
Finnish Prime Minister Pet-
There was very little envi-
teri Orpo said the pipeline dam-
ronmental damage to the sur-
age couldn’t have occurred as a
rounding Baltic Sea, compared
result of normal use or pres-
to the Nord Stream attacks, Es-
sure fluctuations, Finnish pub-
tonian Climate Minister Kristen
lic broadcaster Yle reported.
Michal told reporters. There
NATO Secretary-General
was no explosion, Pevkur said.
Jens Stoltenberg said the alli-
It isn’t yet clear what could
ance was sharing information
have caused the leak. The Finn-
and stands ready to support
ish-Estonian seismic monitoring
concerned member states.
system didn’t detect any seis-
A benchmark European
mological events in the vicinity
gas-futures contract rose 12%
of the Balticconnector pipeline
on Tuesday, after the outbreak
around that time, said Heidi
of fighting in Israel and Gaza
Soosalu, senior geologist at the
spurred a jump in energy
Geological Survey of Estonia.
prices earlier in the week.