In Finland they are inclined to believe that the Balticconnector was damaged by the anchor of a Chinese vessel.
The anchor found near the site where the Balticconnector gas pipeline was damaged belonged to the Chinese container ship Newnew Polar Bear.
This information was announced by the representative of the Finnish National Bureau of Investigation, Risto Lohi, Yle TV channel reports.
What the Finnish police found out
A representative of the bureau said that the anchor found on October 24 near the leak site is similar in certain technical parameters to the anchor of the Chinese Newnew Polar Bear.
Lohi also said that the same paint was found on the anchor as on the gas pipeline.
The department representative added that the main part of the investigation has been completed, but technical details need to be clarified.
According to the report, during the investigation, traces that could have been left by an anchor were found on the seabed on both sides of the gas pipeline, stretching to the east for several kilometers.
It was also established that the geography and time of movement of the Chinese ship coincided with the time of damage to the Balticconnector. Later, the container ship was spotted in the port of St. Petersburg.
A photo from the port shows that the anchor chains of the moored ship have been thrown into the water, although this is not necessary.
Earlier, Finnish police said that the Newnew Polar Bear may have played a role in the damage to the gas pipeline, as an anchor was found near the leak site, which could belong to the ship. Whether his actions were intentional or an accident has not yet been established.
The Finnish company Gasgrid, the operator of the gas pipeline, reported that its work would be restored no earlier than April next year.
On October 23, Reuters, citing a source in the Estonian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, reported that Estonian authorities contacted representatives of the PRC to conduct a joint investigation.
Later, the head of the Finnish government, Petteri Orpo, said that Finland had also contacted the Chinese authorities to clarify the role of Newnew Polar Bear in the damage to the Balticconnector.
Let us remind you that on October 8, the work of Balticconnector was suspended due to a suspected leak. The next day the damage was discovered.
On October 10, Finnish authorities reported that the damage to the gas pipeline was likely caused by external influences.
A communication cable running near the gas pipeline was also damaged. Its damage was discovered around the same time as the gas pipeline leak.
On October 17, Swedish Minister of Civil Defense Karl-Oskar Bohlin reported damage to the submarine cable between Sweden and Estonia. The Estonian police stated that the damage was of a mechanical nature.
