2023-10-11 08:01:01
According to the Estonian Defense Minister, the damage to a Baltic Sea natural gas pipeline between Finland and Estonia was caused by severe violence. “It is clear to see that this damage was caused by a fairly strong force,” said Hanno Pevkur on Wednesday. “We still have to specify what exactly it is, but at the moment it looks more like it’s mechanical impact or mechanical destruction.”
Finnish Prime Minister Sauli Niinistö had already spoken of targeted action on Tuesday. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg threatened a decisive response from the defense alliance. “If it turns out to be an attack on critical NATO infrastructure, NATO will unite and respond decisively,” he told a meeting of alliance defense ministers.
The 77 kilometer long Balticconnector pipeline connects Inkoo in Finland and Paldiski in Estonia. It runs through the Gulf of Finland, a part of the Baltic Sea that extends into Russian territorial waters. The operator recorded a sudden drop in pressure at 2 a.m. (local time; 1 a.m. CEST) on Sunday and shut down the line. The Finnish energy company Gasgrid has since said it might take months to repair the damage. According to the responsible operators, the natural gas demand in both states can be met from other sources, even in winter.
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