Explosion at Balticconnector: Russian ship was near the pipeline – Estonian intelligence
The Russian ship was near the Balticconnector gas pipeline when it exploded around October 8. This was stated by the Commander of the Estonian Defense Intelligence Center, Colonel Ants Kiviselg, on the ERR TV channel.
The Russian cargo ship SVG Flot was found near the site of the Balticconnector gas pipeline explosion. It was there from October 6 to 8. On October 8, gas system operators first noticed a drop in pressure, and the next day it became known that the only cause could be a hole in the pipe. In addition to the Russian ship, 4-5 other ships were spotted in the Baltic Sea near the Balticconnector.
“The investigation is ongoing. But at the same time, the location of these vessels can also be obtained from open sources. Everyone can check it for themselves,” Kiviselg said.
He also added that the Estonian Navy monitors the movement of ships in the Baltic Sea, but the underwater infrastructure cannot be fully protected. We are talking not only about gas pipelines, but also about communication cables or the Internet. They can be monitored by sensors and the situation can be seen to change, but these possibilities need to be discussed with foreign partners and allies.
Photo: From open sources
SVG Flot is a Russian vessel used to transport ore and oil. The cargo capacity is 3345 tons. The ship is currently in Kaliningrad, Russia, and can be seen on the Marine Traffic project.
As a reminder, on October 11, Finnish President Sauli Niinistö said that the damage to the gas pipeline could have been done on purpose.
On October 10, the media reported that the explosion of a gas pipeline in the Baltic Sea could have been the work of the Kremlin.
