Helsinki:
The damage to the Baltic Sea gas pipeline earlier this month is believed to have been caused by a ship dragging a large anchor along the seabed, but Finnish police said Tuesday it was too early to say whether it was an accident or It was a deliberate act.
Investigators said they have now recovered a lost anchor from the spot in the ocean where the pipeline ruptured on October 8, and were investigating whether it belonged to the Chinese container ship.
Police had earlier said that the damage to the BalticConnector subsea gas pipeline and two Baltic Sea telecommunications cables was caused by external mechanical force and were investigating whether it was a case of sabotage or caused by an accident.
Extensive stretch marks were observed on the seabed leading to where the pipeline broke, and the anchor was lying immediately adjacent to the damage site. Police said a narrow path stretching for dozens of miles was seen on the sea floor.
He reported that a piece of the anchor, one of its two nails, had broken off.
“The next question is about whether it was intentional, reckless, bad seamanship, and that’s where we’ll find out if there was any reason for what happened,” National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) chief Robin Lardot told a news conference. “There could be a motive.”
“But it is too early to answer at this stage,” he said.
The NBI said Friday they are focusing their investigation on the Chinese Nyunyue Polar Bear container ship that passed over the pipeline and cables at the time of the damage.
The NBI said on Tuesday that they had established that the Nyunyu Polar Bear was indeed missing one of its front anchors, and said they had unsuccessfully tried to contact the ship to ask if it was a member of Finland. Was recovered in the bay.
China on Monday called for an “objective, impartial and professional” investigation into the pipeline damage.
The incident cut off supplies of pipeline gas to Finland, although the country hopes to manage imports of liquefied natural gas through ship deliveries at its Inku port.
As a result of the damage, NATO has increased patrols in the Baltic Sea.
In September 2022, the large Nord Stream pipelines linking Germany and Russia were damaged by explosions that authorities said were deliberate sabotage, although it is still unclear who was behind the attack.
