A Finnish minister says: Everything points to deliberate sabotage of Finnish gas pipelines by a Chinese ship

The Baltica, the pipeline transporting gas between Finland and the Baltic countries, was damaged over the weekend of October 7 and 8, after which gas supplies had to be stopped. Finnish and Estonian investigators pointed to the Chinese ship Nyonyo Polar Bear, which was sailing nearby at the time of the damage. Police later found a 6,000-pound anchor near the gas pipe. Researchers suspect that the ship dragged its anchor along the bottom for a period of time.

The governments of Finland and Estonia previously said it was uncertain whether it was a deliberate act of sabotage or just an accident. The Finnish Minister who made his statements in an interview with POLITICONow it goes one step further. “I’m not a captain, but you’d think you’d notice if you were dragging an anchor along the bottom for hundreds of miles,” he said. Although no one admitted to this, all indications indicate that it was intentional.”

Finland and Estonia have asked China to cooperate in the investigation. Both countries want to send investigators to inspect the new polar bear, which is on its way to a Chinese port. Adlerkreutz said he suspected China was aware of the action. “If I were a captain and did something that was not approved by the Chinese government, I would think twice before taking my boat back to China.”

Nord Stream

Two communications cables near the pipe were also damaged during the operation. One of these cables extends from Sweden to Estonia. This incident, which came in the wake of the sabotage of the Nord Stream gas pipelines last year, increases concerns about the security of energy infrastructure in the northern region.

After discovering the leak, Finland requested assistance from NATO. Surveillance of critical infrastructure – oil and gas pipelines and power plants – has also been strengthened in Finland and Norway. The British government said on Thursday that it will send seven naval ships to Scandinavia to help guard vital maritime infrastructure.