After the suspected gross sabotage against the Estlink 2 power cable and several communication cables, Finnish President Alexander Stubb held a press conference on Friday.
Shortly before the press conference began, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte announced on X that he spoke with Stubb and that NATO should strengthen its presence in the Baltic Sea.
The conversation is confirmed by the Finnish president, who at the same time says that the situation is under control – and praises the efforts of the Finnish authorities.
– Now we were able to act quickly and get this vessel into Finnish waters. Now a legal process is taking place, says Alexander Stubb.
Oil tankers are believed to have damaged the cable with its anchor
On Thursday, Finnish police and coast guard boarded the vessel Eagle S, which is suspected of involvement in the sabotage against the power cable Estlink 2 between Estonia and Finland.
According to Finnish authorities, the ship is suspected of having damaged the cables with its anchor.
The vessel, which has been identified as part of the Russian shadow fleet, has been towed to Finnish waters and its cargo seized by Finnish customs.
Estonia hopes to get help from NATO
On Friday, the Estonian Defense Forces announced that they are starting an operation in the Baltic Sea. In a first stage, the patrol boat Raju has been sent to protect the underwater cable Estlink 1.
To Estonian media says the country’s defense minister Hannu Pevkur that he hopes for a joint effort with several NATO countries – including Sweden.
– If NATO and the chief of defense agree, a solution could, for example, be an operation with Swedish forces, says Pevkur.
SVT has contacted the Swedish Armed Forces, which states that they have not yet received a formal request to participate in the operation.
In a comment to SVT, Foreign Minister Maria Malmer Stenergard (M) writes that Swedish authorities are in contact with Finnish and Estonian colleagues. In addition, according to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, the Coast Guard and the Swedish Armed Forces are taking “preparatory measures for the protection of underwater infrastructure along the Swedish coast”.