Finland and Estonia are investigating the rupture of the 77-kilometre Balticconnector gas pipeline, which connects the two NATO members under the surface of the Baltic Sea. The pipeline was damaged on October 7 or 8, in parallel with two communications cables linking Estonia to Finland and Sweden.
An investigation by Finnish authorities has identified the Chinese container ship Newnew Polar Bear as the main suspect, which is believed to have dragged its anchor along the bottom of the Baltic Sea, severing cables and gas lines.
Finland and Estonia have since contacted Chinese authorities requesting their cooperation in the investigation. The Baltic Times reported earlier this week that the two Baltic countries had requested permission for their representatives to come to Beijing to inspect the ship, which is currently en route to a Chinese port.
And so far China
Adlerkreutz said he could not speculate on whether the Chinese government had approved these measures or not. But he said the ship’s imminent return to China raises some questions.
— If I did something as captain that was not approved by the Chinese government, I would not be willing to return my ship to China – He said.
Estonian Defense Minister Hannu Pefkur expressed similar sentiments in an interview with Swedish public broadcaster SVT last month, saying the ship’s captain “definitely knew something was wrong” when he dragged the anchor for more than 180 kilometres.
More than a year after the Nord Stream gas pipeline linking Russia to Germany was damaged by several explosions, the Baltic Connector incident raises further concerns about the security of critical undersea infrastructure and potential measures to protect against external sabotage. Despite the international investigation, the perpetrator of the attack on Nord Stream has not yet been identified.
Adlerkreutz said there should be “greater protection” for this type of infrastructure, for example in terms of better monitoring of suspicious vessels. But he added that there are limits to what can be done.
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