Finnish police investigate undersea gas pipeline leak as possible sabotage

(Patria) - Finnish police said on Wednesday they have launched a criminal investigation into possible sabotage of the undersea gas pipeline between Finland and Estonia which was shut down over the weekend after a leak.

The Finnish National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) says it has begun collecting evidence at the site of the leak, which was discovered on Sunday in Finland's economic zone on the Balticconector pipeline that connects the two NATO allies. A telecommunications cable was also damaged, AP reports.

The purpose of the investigation is to determine whether the pipeline was damaged intentionally or accidentally. Finnish authorities have already ruled out an operational accident, saying the damage was caused by "external activity".

Noting that the analysis is still in its early stages, the NBI said that "traces have been found in the seabed" near the leak, but did not provide details. External analysts speculate on everything from a ship's anchor hitting the pipeline to an explosion as possible causes.

"It appears the damage was caused by mechanical force, not an explosion," said NBI Chief Inspector Risto Lohi.

"At this moment, we are determining what happened and who might have been involved. Given the situation, we will not speculate, but rather work to find the facts, analyze them, and then draw conclusions about what caused the damage."

The Balticconnector is 77 kilometers long and runs through the Gulf of Finland from the Finnish town of Inkoo to the Estonian port of Paldiski. It is bidirectional and transports gas between Finland and Estonia depending on demand and supply. The 300 million euro pipeline began commercial operation in early 2020. It was shut down on Sunday after operators noticed a pressure drop in the pipeline.

The incident occurred just over a year after the Nord Stream pipelines connecting Germany and Russia in the Baltic Sea were damaged by explosions believed to be sabotage. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said he had discussed the Balticconnector with Finnish President Sauli Niinistö and Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas.

"If it turns out to be a deliberate attack on NATO's critical infrastructure, then it will, of course, be serious, and it will also be met with a united and decisive response from NATO," he said.