2023-10-24 16:50:00
The Chinese-flagged ship “Newnew Polar Bear” is said to have damaged the pipeline between Estonia and Finland with its anchor. There would be a drag trail leading to the damage site.
After the damage to the Balticconnector pipeline in the Baltic Sea, investigators assume that the damage was caused by a large anchor from a Chinese container ship. A drag trail one and a half to four meters wide can be seen on the seabed, which leads to the site of damage to the gas pipeline, said Risto Lohi from the Finnish criminal police investigating at a press conference on Tuesday.
An anchor was found a few meters away, which probably caused the trace and the damage. It is believed that the Hong Kong-flagged ship Newnew Polar Bear caused the damage.
Anchor shows suspicious marks
According to Lohi, the anchor was recovered on Tuesday morning. It therefore shows traces that indicate that it had contact with the pipeline.
The Balticconnector gas pipeline runs between Inkoo in Finland and Paldiski in Estonia through the Gulf of Finland in the eastern part of the Baltic Sea. She was damaged on October 8th. Finnish President Sauli Niinistö announced two days later that the damage to the line and a data cable between Finland and Estonia was probably caused by “external activity”. It is still unclear whether this was an accident or deliberate sabotage.
The Finnish criminal police had already announced on Friday that they would concentrate on the role of the “Newnew Polar Bear” in the investigation into the incident. The ship belongs to a Chinese shipping company. (APA)
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