Estland Sends Navy to Protect Subsea Cable; Finnish Police Detain Ship Suspected of Sabotage
Estonia has dispatched its navy to safeguard and secure its energy link with Finland after discovering a break on an undersea power cable between the two countries. The incident occurred on Christmas Day. Both Estlink 2 Cable Between Estonia and Finland Suspended Due to Technical Issues"</strong></p>”>Estlink power cables connect Estonia’s grid to the Nordic network, with Estlink 2 having a greater capacity.
"Estonia has decided to send its navy to protect Estlink 1 in order to defend and safeguard our energy connection with Finland," Estonia’s defense minister, Hanno Pevkur, wrote on X.
On Wednesday, Estonia discovered a breach on the Estlink 2 cable, which connects Estonia and Finland in the Baltic Sea. The broken cable is more robust than the affected Estlink 1 cable.
On Thursday, Finnish authorities stopped a tanker, "Eagle S," suspected of causing the sabotage. The ship was en route to the Cook Islands under the flag of an unknown country but is believed to be linked to the Russian "shadow fleet" – vessels involved in circumventing sanctions by transporting Russian oil.
The Finnish Border Guard boarded and searched the tanker, finding that its anchors were missing. This discovery strengthened suspicions that the ship was involved in damaging Estonia’s undersea power cable.
Trafic data analyzed by the Finnish media outlet Yle showed that the tanker’s route placed it near the location of the damaged power cable at the time the issue was discovered.
Police are treating the incident as a case of sabotage and are investigating the ship’s crew and its owners. Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas, Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna, and Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Estonian Parliament, Riho Terras, also weighed in on the matter, expressing their concern and offering their support.
Baltic States’ Power Grid at Risk
The breaks on the Estlink power cables, which connect Estonia to the broader European power grid through Finland, have raised concerns about the security and resilience of the region’s energy infrastructure. The two Estlink cables are critical links that transmit electricity between the Baltics and the Nordic countries.
The incident highlights the importance of maintaining secure and stable energy connections between countries, particularly in regions where power demands can be volatile. The Baltic states – Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania – are actively working to integrate their electricity markets with those of the European Union to enhance energy security and sustainability.
Kői (VG) is a Norwegian news outlet that covers a wide range of topics, including politics, business, and entertainment. It is part of Schibsted Norway and distributed nationally. VG.no is the online news platform of VG.
SEO Keywords: Estlink, Estonian power cables, power cable sabotage, Estonian navy, Finnish police, Estonian defense minister, Estonian prime minister, Russian shadow fleet, Baltic energy security
Meta Description: Estonia dispatches navy to protect power cable after break; Finnish police detain ship suspected of sabotage. Both Estlink cables connect Estonia to Nordic grid. Baltic energy security at risk.
