Finland announced on Tuesday that it suspected external intervention was behind the leak on the gas pipeline connected to Estonia and received support from NATO in its investigation.
The operation of the infrastructure was interrupted on Sunday due to this leak, rendering the country’s last gas pipeline inoperable after the cessation of Russian imports.
Finnish investigators did not find any signs of the use of explosives, but the Norwegian Institute of Seismology detected a “probable explosion” in the area of the leak.
The telecommunications cable accompanying the gas pipeline was damaged in Estonian waters, officials from this Baltic country said on Tuesday during a press briefing.
This incident comes one year after the sabotage of the Nord Stream gas pipeline transporting natural gas from Russia to Germany, on September 26, 2022, the origin of which still remains an enigma.
“It is likely that the damage to the gas pipeline and telecommunications cable was the result of external activity,” Finnish President Sauli Niinistö said in a statement.
In addition to the gas pipeline, a “disruption” is affecting the submarine telecoms cable linking Finland and Estonia via the Gulf of Finland, but no customers were affected, according to the telecoms operator Elisa.
The Estonian Navy is investigating the damage to this cable, according to Estonian authorities.
The cause of the leak on the gas pipeline is not yet clear and “the investigation continues, in cooperation between Finland and Estonia,” said the Finnish president.
“The extent of the damage is such that it must have been caused by a force, which was not, for example, a diver or a small underwater robot, the damage is more massive,” said for his part Estonian Defense Minister Hanno Pevkur during a press conference.
Asked about possible Russian involvement, Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo warned against any premature conclusions. “It is important to investigate thoroughly and gather all available information, and not jump to conclusions at this stage,” he told a news conference.
“There are no indications [pour dire] that explosives were used,” said Timo Kilpeläinen, head of investigations at the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI).
The Norwegian seismology institute Norsar “detected a probable explosion off the Finnish coast of the Baltic Sea at 1:20 a.m. on October 8, 2023,” according to its press release.
NATO support
Finland has received support from NATO, of which it became a member in April after decades of neutrality. The Secretary General of the Alliance, Jens Stoltenberg, indicated that he was in contact with the Finnish president and was ready to support the country.
“NATO shares information and stands ready to support affected Allies,” Stoltenberg wrote on X.
The Alliance also recalls that it is working to strengthen the security of underwater infrastructure.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said she “strongly condemns any act of deliberate destruction of essential infrastructure” after talks with the prime ministers of Finland and Estonia.
Gasgrid, manager of the Balticconnector gas pipeline, assured that it would be able to develop “repair plans” and a work schedule once the origin of the leak has been established.
In the meantime, The situation in the Finnish gas system is stable and supplies from the floating liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal in Inkoo (south) are assured, the state company underlined in a press release.