The damage to the Balticconnector gas pipeline, which connects the gas network of Finland with Estonia under the Baltic Sea, was probably caused by the Newnew Polar Bear, which flies the Hong Kong flag.
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This was established through the sequence of events reconstructed from the evidence and data collected. This is stated in a statement by the press service of the Finnish police.
In particular:
- a drag mark ranging from 1.5 to 4 meters wide was found on the seabed, leading to the site of damage to the gas pipeline;
- at a distance of several meters from the place of damage to the gas pipeline there was an anchor, which is believed to have caused the damage itself;
- The anchor was raised this morning. There are marks on it indicating that it was in contact with a gas pipeline;
- from the place where the anchor was found and further on, a narrow trail of dragging is visible, the size of which coincides with the part connecting the anchor to the chain.
These observations, combined with analyzed vessel traffic data, confirmed the main line of investigation into the Newnew Polar Bear’s role in the incident.
In addition, we were unable to visually confirm that both of the vessel’s forward anchors were in place, which helped focus suspicion on this particular vessel, Finnish law enforcement noted.
It is noted that law enforcement contacted the company that owns the ship several times, but it did not want to cooperate, so Finland initiated international cooperation with the Chinese authorities to continue the investigation.
Particular attention will be paid in the future to the investigation into whether the damage to the gas pipeline was the result of intent or negligence.
The Finnish publication Yle notes that in the photo of the Newnew Polar Bear vessel, published on October 22 on the Russian website Fleet Photo, it is noticeable that the ship’s left anchor is missing, and some containers are standing at an angle.
It is alleged that this photo was taken just before the Arkhangelsk region of Russia, but the authenticity of the photo and its date have not been confirmed.
Let us remind you that the Balticconnector gas pipeline was damaged on the night of October 8.
Source: Finnish Police, Yle
Before the leak, ships flying the flags of Russia and Hong Kong were spotted on the Balticconnector gas pipeline.
Source: Racurs
I am David Wyatt, a professional writer and journalist for Buna Times. I specialize in the world section of news coverage, where I bring to light stories and issues that affect us globally. As a graduate of Journalism, I have always had the passion to spread knowledge through writing.