The latest update on the Balticconnector case was published by the Wall Street Journal on May 20. Accordingly, European investigators are discovering a lot of evidence related to the perpetrator of the sabotage of strategic infrastructure in the region, including the sabotage of the gas pipeline under the Baltic Sea, but have not found a reasonable response because the evidence is not convincing enough.
Last fall, Finnish investigators concluded that the Chinese ship - the Newnew Polar Bear, which had a Russian sailor in its crew - had cut off the Balticconnector gas pipeline. As the investigation into the Newnew Polar Bear moves around Sc Scandinavia heading towards Russia, Finnish authorities have reached out to Norwegian counterparts to share suspicions.
Norwegian authorities plan to force the ship to dock at one of the country's ports for inspection. However, in the end, Norway did not do it because it felt it lacked concrete evidence.
A Norwegian cruise ship has been tracking the Newnew Polar Bear as it passes through sensitive maritime infrastructure owned by Hainan Xin Xin Yang Shipping.
"Only 1 or 2 weeks later, we had enough evidence to be allowed to stop and search the ship, but it was too late," an unnamed Norwegian official said.
The Balticconnector gas pipeline case shows challenges for investigators in linking the cases to the suspect, the Wall Street Journal noted.
On October 7, 2023, the Chinese-registered container ship Newnew Polar Bear left the Russian port of Kaliningrad in the Baltic Sea and moved north. The ship passed the Balticconnector pipeline at the same time the pipeline was broken.
The ship then docked at St. Petersburg. Petersburg, Russia, before traveling around Norway to the northern Russian port of Arkhangelsk.
Notably, according to the Wall Street Journal, during this journey, closely following the Newnew Polar Bear is Sevmorput - a nuclear-powered merchant ship owned by the Russian Government.
Based on satellite data reviewed by the Wall Street Journal, on the nearly 6,000 km long route, the Newnew Polar Bear moved in large displays almost at the same time as the Sevmorput.
In the investigation into the Balticconnector gas pipeline break, Finnish investigators found that the pipeline was cut by the anchor of the Newnew Polar Bear.
A spokesperson for the Finnish investigation agency said the Chinese ship owner is working with investigators and the investigation is continuing to determine whether the incident was an accident or intentional.
The Wall Street Journal noted that immediately after discovering the Balticconnector pipeline broken, Finnish authorities identified the Newnew Polar Bear as the suspect but could not investigate because the incident occurred in international waters.
A Finnish official familiar with the investigation said it would be difficult for investigators to hold liable at the end of the Balticconnector pipeline investigation.
The Balticconnector pipeline connects the gas systems of Finland and Estonia. The total length of this pipeline is 151 km, of which 77 km of the pipeline is located at the bottom of the Gulf of Finland.
The underwater section of the Balticconnector pipeline stretches between the city of Inkoo (Uusimaa, southern Finland) and Paldiski ( Harjumaa district, northern Estonia). The capacity of the Balticconnector pipeline is 2.6 billion cubic meters of gas/year.
The Balticconnector gas pipeline was put back into operation in April 2024 after a period of repair. According to broadcaster Yle, repairing the pipeline would cost about 40 million euros.
The operation of the undersea gas pipeline connecting Finland and Estonia was suspended on October 8. 2023 due to suspected leakage. Finnish authorities informed at a press conference on October 10 of the same year that the gas pipeline was damaged by suspected external forces.
