Damage to Finnish-Estonian gas pipe may be 'deliberate'

The damage caused to a natural gas pipeline and telecommunication cable between Finland and Estonia may have been a deliberate act, the two countries' governments said.

The Balticconnector pipeline was shut down on Sunday after Finland's coast guard discovered "clear damage". Both Finnish and Estonian gas system operators said they noted "an unusual drop in pressure "in the pipeline on Sunday morning, causing them to stop the gas flow.

"It's likely that damage to both the gas pipeline and the communication cable is the result of external activity," Finnish President Sauli Niinisto said on Tuesday. "The cause of the damage is not yet clear. The investigation continues in cooperation between Finland and Estonia."

He said damage to the underwater infrastructure has been taken seriously and the causes have been under investigation since Sunday.

Finland's National Bureau of Investigation said the "size of the gas pipeline damage is such that indicates deliberate action".

A spokesperson for Estonian gas operator Elering said on Monday that no potential causes could be ruled out, including sabotage.

The Balticconnector, a 77-kilometer pipeline along the seabed in the Gulf of Finland, also carries a telecommunication cable. It was opened in December 2019 to help integrate gas markets in the region, giving Finland and the three Baltic states of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania more flexibility in supply.

Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo said on Tuesday that the damage to the pipeline was "worrying", but that Finland's energy supply remained stable and damage to the telecommunication cable did not affect Finland's overall connectivity.

"It's too early to draw conclusions on who or what caused the damage," Orpo told a news conference.

Backup purposes

Finnish telecommunication operator Elisa said the damaged telecommunication cable was primarily used for backup purposes and that its services had not been disrupted.

Finland's gas network operator Gasgrid said the leak could take months to repair, and that Finland's gas system was stable.

Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas said Estonia and Finland had informed their allies in NATO and the European Union regarding the incidents.

"The damaged cable and pipeline are in very different locations, although the timing (of the incidents) is quite close," Estonian Defense Minister Hanno Pevkur said.

Niinisto said he had been in contact with NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg.

In posts on X, Stoltenberg said he had spoken with Niinisto and Kallas, adding that NATO stands ready to contribute to the investigation, share information and support its allies.

"Probably the first hit in a series of hits to come. The NATO membership will end up costing Finland deeply, like I have repeatedly warned," Tuomas Malinen, an associate professor of economics at the University of Helsinki, wrote on X on Tuesday.

The latest incidents are a reminder of last year's Nord Stream gas pipeline explosions, inflicting huge costs on Europe's energy supply. Authorities had also called it deliberate acts of sabotage, but Germany, Denmark and Sweden, which had conducted investigations, have refused to reveal details.

Agencies contributed to the story.