Damage to the Balticconnector bi-directional natural gas pipeline running between Ingå, Finland and Paldiski, Estonia, operated by Gasgrid Finland and Elering, is being treated as suspicious by Finnish and Estonian authorities. Gasgrid Finland detected a drop in pressure, indicating a possible leak on 8 October during a storm, and Finland’s National Bureau of Investigation has said that “external marks” have been found on the seabed around the pipeline.

In addition, an undersea data cable has also been damaged, which further points towards deliberate damage. The Bureau has said that it is now “focusing on the technical investigation of the pipe damage site and examining the seabed at the scene”, and that the damage was caused by an “external force”.

The incident has called to mind the damage to the Nord Stream pipelines last year, and the situation is being treated seriously. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg told reporters that “The important thing now is to establish what happened and how this could happen. If it is proven to be a deliberate attack on NATO-critical infrastructure, then this will be, of course, serious, but it will also be met by a united and determined response from NATO.”