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Title: Multiple Suspicious Incidents on Baltic Sea Cables; Latest ‘Estonia and Finland Suspended Due to Technical Issues"</strong></p>”>EstLink 2‘ Outage Adds to Growing Concern
In a recent development, the containership "Xin Xin Tian 2," flying the Hong Kong flag, was spotted near an underwater cable on Dec 26, just hours before the "EstLink 2" cable experienced a sudden shutdown. The 650-megawatt cable, which connects Estonia and Finland, has been temporarily discontinued, with investigations ongoing to determine the cause.
The "Xin Xin Tian 2" had departed from St. Petersburg, Russia, earlier that week, bound for Port Said, Egypt. This incident comes amidst growing concern about a series of unexplained disruptions on vital cables beneath the Baltic Sea, with multiple Chinese-owned vessels under scrutiny.
In January 2021, the natural gas pipeline "Balticconnector" was damaged, connecting Estonia and Finland. The suspected culprit was the "NewNew Polar Bear," a Hong Kong-registered containership. Similarly, in November 2021, the "C-Lion 1" and "Arelion" undersea cables were sabotaged. The "Yi Peng 3," another Chinese-owned vessel, was loosely connected to these incidents after leaving a Russian port.
The "EstLink 2" cable has previously been disabled for eight months due to an internal malfunction unrelated to external interference. The recent shutdown, however, has renew calls for enhanced vigilance and further investigation.
While the cause of this latest outage remains unknown, regional grid operators assure customers that reserve power will maintain electricity supplies. The "EstLink 1," a 350-megawatt cable, continues to function normally. Authorities are working diligently to restore the "EstLink 2" and unravel the truth behind these suspiciously timed disruptions.
