baltic sea mysteries: accidental cable cuts or covert ops?
"In recent months, there have been several incidents related to the severing of cables at the bottom of the Baltic Sea. Investigations into this matter do not, however, confirm Russia's involvement despite earlier suspicions," reports the "Washington Post". These events are attributed to inexperienced ship crews who accidentally damaged the infrastructure.
In the past 18 months, there have been three major incidents. The first involved the tanker Eagle S, which dragged its anchor across 100 kilometres of the Baltic seabed, severing the EstLink 2 cable connecting Finland and Estonia. Finland indicated that this ship belongs to Russia's shadow fleet, which helps Moscow circumvent international sanctions.
Other cases include the actions of the container ship Newnew Polar Bear, which in October 2023 ruptured a gas pipeline in the Gulf of Finland, and the Chinese ship Yi Peng 3, which last November cut two cables in Swedish waters.
In response to these events, NATO has decided to increase patrols in the Baltic to strengthen the security of underwater infrastructure. Although Russia denies its involvement, its statements have been met with considerable skepticism.
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investigations and conclusions
Despite suspicions that Russia might have been involved in these incidents, investigations have found no evidence of its participation.
U.S. officials cited "clear explanations" that have come to light in each of the investigated incidents, suggesting the likelihood that the damage was accidental, and lack of evidence implicating Russia. Officials from two European intelligence agencies stated that they agree with the U.S. assessments.
Pekka Toveri, former head of military intelligence in Finland, however, believes that the incidents may be part of a hybrid operation conducted by Russia. "The most important thing in any hybrid operation is denial. The Russian security services may have succeeded in leaving no evidence that would hold up in court, but to claim that they were accidents is utter nonsense," he assessed.
Source: Washington Post
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