Undersea pipeline damage appears to be deliberate, says Finland

Media cites intelligence sources saying Russian sabotage suspected after unusual drop in pressure

Extensive damage to an undersea gas pipeline and communications cable connecting Finland and Estonia “could not have occurred by accident” and appears to be the result of a “deliberate … external act”, Finnish authorities have said.

“It is likely that the damage to both the gas pipeline and the communication cable is the result of external activity,” the Finnish president, Sauli Niinistö, said on X, formerly Twitter, on Tuesday, adding that the cause of the damage was not yet clear.

Local media cited unnamed government sources as saying Russian sabotage was suspected, while regional security experts said a Russian survey vessel had recently been observed making repeated visits to the vicinity of the Balticconnector pipeline.

Petteri Orpo, the Finnish prime minister, told a press conference in Helsinki that a preliminary assessment suggested that “the observed damage could not have been caused by normal use of the pipeline or by pressure fluctuations”.

Asked directly about the likelihood of Russian involvement, Orpo said he did not want to speculate on potential perpetrators before the investigation was complete. “It’s important … not to jump to conclusions at this stage,” he said.

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