Oslo: Finnish authorities have launched an investigation into potential foreign involvement in the damage to the undersea Estlink 2 power cable, which connects Finland and Estonia. The outage, which began on Wednesday, has left the 658 MW interconnector offline, forcing reliance on the smaller 358 MW Estlink 1, according to operator Fingrid.
“The police, in cooperation with the Border Guard and other authorities, are investigating the chain of events of the incident,” Finnish police stated. Investigators are specifically examining the possible role of a foreign ship in the incident, though they have refrained from naming the vessel.
Heightened Security in the Baltic Sea
Baltic Sea nations remain on edge following a series of disruptions to critical infrastructure, including power cables, telecom links, and gas pipelines, since 2022. While authorities are investigating the possibility of sabotage, they have not ruled out technical malfunctions or accidents as potential causes.
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Sweden is currently investigating the damage to two Baltic Sea telecom cables last month, an incident German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius has suggested could be sabotage. Finnish authorities are also continuing their inquiry into last year’s damage to the Balticconnector gas pipeline and several telecom cables, which were likely caused by a ship dragging its anchor.
Historical Context
The region has witnessed significant infrastructure threats, most notably the 2022 explosions that crippled the Nord Stream gas pipelines connecting Russia to Germany. The case remains unresolved, with Germany leading the ongoing investigation.
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Authorities across the Baltic are tightening surveillance and coordination to prevent further incidents, as the integrity of undersea infrastructure remains a vital concern.
