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Estlink 2, which runs between Finland and Estonia, has stopped working.
Now the network operator Fingrid is investigating sabotage.
– There are two ships in the area by the cables, says control room manager Arto Pahkin.
At 12.26 on Christmas Day, Estlink 2 was disconnected, according to the network operator Fingrid.
Soon after, an investigation was launched to find out what happened.
Arto Pahkin says that sabotage cannot be ruled out.
– That is one of the possibilities we are looking at. Because there are two ships that are in the area where the cables are located. They are moving right now, he says.
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full screen Photo: Vesselfinder
Hong Kong flagged
Data from ship-tracking site Vesselfinder shows that one of the vessels is the Hong Kong-flagged Xin Xin Tian 2.
It is a sister ship to Newnew Polar Bear, which last year caused the leak on the Balticconnector gas pipeline and the damage to the data cable that ran between Finland and Sweden.
Xin Xin Tian 2 belongs to the shipping company Hainan Yangpu, which is part of the Torgmoll group. A Chinese logistics company with close connections to Russia.
“Even at Christmas, the authorities are awake”
Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo says an investigation has been launched:
“The electricity transmission link Estlink 2 between Finland and Estonia has gone offline in the afternoon. Even at Christmas, the authorities are awake and investigating the matter. The interruption of the transmission connection does not affect the electricity supply of Finns”; he writes on X.
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full screenFinland’s Prime Minister Petteri Orpo says an investigation has been launched. Photo: Oscar Olsson/TT
30 million euros
Data shows that the vessel is en route from Saint Petersburg to Egyptian Port Said.
Estlink 2 also stopped working in January and was not in use until September. According to the Estonian ERR, the repair costs were 30 million euros.
Arto Pahkin does not want to comment on which countries the designated ships come from.
– I don’t know that, he says.
The network operator is now conducting tests in the area.
– In a few hours we will know what happened, says Arto Pahkin.