In the area of damage to the Balticconnector gas pipeline, which runs between Estonia and Finland, a Chinese ship was discovered that was passing by at the time the pipeline was damaged. About it reported Estonian publication Postimees with a link to the Marine Traffic database.
The discovered vessel turned out to be the container ship Newnew Polar Bear, which belongs to China but flies the flag of Hong Kong. It is clarified that at a normal speed of 11 knots, the ship began to slow down as it approached the Balticconnector, until the speed dropped to 9.5 knots. After 15 minutes, the container ship increased its speed again to more than 11 knots.
According to the publication, the Estonian government has not yet sent a request to China demanding clarification about the vessel. According to a source in government agencies, this is diplomatically sensitive information.
On the afternoon of October 8, Finnish Gasgrid reported a drop in pressure in the offshore gas pipeline at night. According to the company, the cause could be a leak. The Finnish government later admitted that the leak may have been the result of a deliberate act.
On October 10, the Finnish TV channel Yle, citing a source, reported that the leak on the gas pipeline was not an accident. October 11 at the Committee on Foreign and Security Policy under the Government of Finland reportedthat the damage could have been caused by “external activity.”
On September 26, 2022, the Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2 gas pipelines, which pass through the Baltic Sea, were damaged as a result of sabotage. After this, Russian President Vladimir Putin accused the West of sabotage. Initially, Germany, Sweden and Denmark planned to conduct a joint investigation with Russia, but later abandoned this idea. In October 2022, Sweden announced the completion of the investigation, but did not name those responsible for the incident.
