Finland says pipeline was likely damaged by an anchor dragged along the seabed

It is too early, according to Finnish investigators, to reach a final decision on whether the Balticconnector gas pipeline linking Finland and Estonia was recently damaged accidentally or deliberately. But the damage was most likely caused by a large anchor dragged by a ship along the seabed, Reuters reported. Finnish police have recovered the anchor from the seabed and are now investigating whether it belongs to the Hong Kong-registered container ship NewNew Polar Bear.

The gas pipeline and a telecommunications cable linking Finland and Estonia were damaged on 8 October. Finnish authorities had previously said that the gas leak was probably caused by external interference, and had not entirely ruled out the possibility of sabotage.

Gouges leading towards the damaged section of the pipeline were found on the seabed, and a six-tonne anchor was lying just beyond the damaged area, Reuters and AP reported. „(The anchor) has marks suggesting that it came into contact with the gas pipeline,“ said Risto Lohi, an official with Finland’s National Bureau of Investigation.

The National Bureau of Investigation also said that evidence and data point to the Chinese ship NewNew Polar Bear, which was sailing through the area at the time of the incident, as responsible for damaging both the gas pipeline and the telecommunications cable.

„We will now look into whether this was due to poor seamanship, negligence or intent, and whether there may therefore have been a motive for the act,“ said Robin Lardot, an official with the Finnish National Bureau of Investigation (KRP).

Recent photographs published on social media show that the NewNew Polar Bear, which docked at the Russian port of St Petersburg during its voyage, is indeed missing one of its anchors. The ship’s captain has not yet been contacted.

According to Marine Traffic, a website that tracks vessel movements at sea, the NewNew Polar Bear is now sailing in northern Russian waters and appears to be heading back to China. Investigators are working with Chinese authorities on the case, AP reported.

On Monday, China called for an „objective, fair and professional“ investigation into the damage to the gas pipeline. NATO has increased patrols in the Baltic Sea in response to the incident.