- Sputnik International, 1920
Energy Crisis in Europe
Europe is bracing for tough winter as US-led push to “punish” Moscow for its military operation in Ukraine backfired on the EU, which has faced months of skyrocketing energy prices and rising inflation after Brussels joined Washington in attempting to “phase out” Russian oil, coal and gas.

External Traces Found in Seabed Near Balticconnector Pipeline Leak - Finnish Police

© AP Photo / BALTICCONNECTAllseas pipe-lying vessel, lays Balticconnector pipeline in Gulf of Finland
Allseas pipe-lying vessel, lays Balticconnector pipeline in Gulf of Finland - Sputnik International, 1920, 11.10.2023
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HELSINKI (Sputnik) - Finnish police spokesman Mikko Simola said on Wednesday that some external traces had been detected in the seabed near the site where the Balticconnector gas pipeline was damaged, adding that the Central Finland Police Department is investigating the matter together with colleagues from Estonia.
Earlier in the day, Estonian Defense Minister Hanno Pevkur said his ministry obtained photo and video footage of the damage, which suggests the pipeline was pulled from one side and dragged. Authorities cannot rule out the pipeline was damaged by an anchor, media reported.
"At this stage of the preliminary investigation, the focus remains on the technical examination of the damage site and the incident site … maritime traffic in the area," Simola told a media briefing.
"In addition, the police are collecting other information from national and international partners. Data review and analysis are still at the initial stages. However, we can say at this stage that there are external traces in the seabed in the area where the gas pipeline broke."
On Tuesday, NORSAR, an independent seismic monitoring organization, revealed it recorded what appeared to be an explosion at the pipeline. The suspected explosion was measured at 1.0 on the Richter scale, which NORSAR said was much smaller than the explosion at Russia's Nord Stream pipeline in September 2022.
Pipes of the gas storage plant Reckrod are pictured near Eiterfeld, central Germany, Thursday, July 14, 2022, after the Nord Stream 1 pipeline was shut down due to maintenance. (AP Photo/Michael Probst) - Sputnik International, 1920, 11.10.2023
Energy Crisis in Europe
Balticconnector Pipeline to Be Recommissioned in April 2024 at Earliest - Operator

Balticconnector was shut down early on October 8 after a sudden drop in pressure raised concerns that gas was leaking from the 48-mile undersea pipeline, which has an annual capacity of up to 2.6 billion cubic meters. Pipeline operator Gasgrid Finland said the pipeline appeared to have been damaged.

Balticconnector is a gas pipeline connecting the Finnish city of Inga and Estonia's Paldiski. The pipeline gives Finland access to Latvia's Incukalns underground gas storage facility.

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