Baltic Sea Power Cable Outage Sparks Sabotage Concerns Amid Regional Tensions

[Social Media]

 

An undersea power cable connecting Finland and Estonia, the 658-megawatt (MW) Estlink 2, experienced a sudden outage on Christmas Day, prompting authorities to investigate the possibility of sabotage. The incident adds to a growing series of disruptions involving undersea infrastructure in the Baltic Sea, fueling regional unease.  

 

The failure, which began at midday local time, did not result in power outages for citizens in either country. Estonia assured that sufficient spare capacity was available to meet demand, according to public broadcaster ERR. However, the cable remains offline, with only the smaller 358 MW Estlink 1 interconnector currently operational, said Finnish grid operator Fingrid.  

 

Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo acknowledged the incident, stating that authorities are examining the circumstances. "The police, in cooperation with the Border Guard and other authorities, are investigating the chain of events of the incident," Finnish police confirmed in a statement.  

 

While technical malfunctions and accidents can occur with subsea equipment, the investigation is also considering whether a foreign vessel might have played a role in the disruption. Authorities have not named any specific ship but remain vigilant due to recent similar incidents in the region.  

 

The outage follows a series of high-profile disruptions to critical infrastructure in the Baltic Sea. Last year, the Balticconnector gas pipeline linking Finland and Estonia was damaged, likely by a ship dragging its anchor, according to Finnish police. Around the same time, several telecom cables were also compromised.  

 

More recently, Swedish authorities have been probing the damage to two Baltic Sea telecom cables last month. German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius remarked that sabotage was a likely cause in that case.  

 

These incidents come in the wake of the 2022 Nord Stream gas pipeline explosions, which destroyed sections of the pipelines that once delivered natural gas from Russia to Germany. The underwater explosions were deemed acts of sabotage, prompting criminal investigations.  

 

The Baltic Sea region remains on high alert as nations assess the resilience of their critical infrastructure. While the cause of the Estlink 2 outage is still under investigation, it highlights the vulnerability of undersea connections and the geopolitical sensitivities surrounding them.

 

Based on a report by Sky News 2024-12-27

 

 

 

[JimHuaHin]

Thank you Putin.

 

In this morning's news, a Russian vessel in the area where the cable is located at the time of the outage has been detailed.

 

All part of Putin's "war" against Europe and NATO.

[Gweiloman]

19 minutes ago, JimHuaHin said:

Thank you Putin.

 

In this morning's news, a Russian vessel in the area where the cable is located at the time of the outage has been detailed.

 

All part of Putin's "war" against Europe and NATO.

As far as I know, the last known act of sabotage in the Baltic Sea was conducted by a “western” country although the jury is still out on which western country…

[SAFETY FIRST]

5 minutes ago, Gweiloman said:

As far as I know, the last known act of sabotage in the Baltic Sea was conducted by a “western” country although the jury is still out on which western country…

Do you have a link? 

 

[Gweiloman]

9 minutes ago, SAFETY FIRST said:

Do you have a link? 

 

Hundreds of links in western msm. You obviously haven’t been following any news. Seems like you don’t know how to use google either.

[Watawattana]

The West did it, according to Putin.  https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/west-rejects-putins-claim-sabotaged-nord-stream-gas-pipelines-rcna50194.

 

And here's one for China.  https://www.wsj.com/world/europe/chinese-ship-suspected-of-deliberately-dragging-anchor-for-100-miles-to-cut-baltic-cables-395f65d1

[SAFETY FIRST]

3 hours ago, Gweiloman said:

3 hours ago, SAFETY FIRST said:

Do you have a link? 

Hundreds of links in western msm. You obviously haven’t been following any news. Seems like you don’t know how to use google either

Yeah, that's what I thought,, your comment was fake and this reaction proves it

 

[PETERTHEEATER]

8 hours ago, JimHuaHin said:

Thank you Putin.

 

In this morning's news, a Russian vessel in the area where the cable is located at the time of the outage has been detailed.

 

All part of Putin's "war" against Europe and NATO.

What has the vessel been detailed to do?