Niinistö: Nato willing to help with pipeline investigation

"I had a conversation with Nato Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg today. Nato is ready to assist in the investigations," the president stated.

Finnish President Sauli Niinistö on Tuesday afternoon issued a statement about the damaged gas pipeline between Finland and Estonia.

According to Yle sources, as of late on Tuesday afternoon, the leak "does not appear to be an accident." The Finnish government announced it would hold a press conference at 5.30pm on Tuesday to discuss the incident. Prime Minister Petteri Orpo (NCP) and other officials were expected to be present.

In a statement from the president's office, Niinistö said that an investigation into the cause of the damage started on Sunday and that the matter is being taken seriously. The office said that it is likely the damage to the gas pipeline as well as an adjacent data cable was the result of "external activity".

It noted that the cause of the damage remained unclear and that Finland was continuing its joint investigation of the matter with Estonian authorities.

The president's office said Finland is in constant contact with its allies and partners.

"Finland’s level of preparedness is good. These events have no impact on our security of supply," Niinistö's statement read.

Stoltenberg noted having a conversation with Niinistö on X (formerly Twitter).

Prime Minister Orpo commented briefly about the situation ahead of the press conference scheduled for later in the day, noting that the pipeline's damage was not caused by normal activity.

Orpo said that the pipeline leak was pinpointed by members of the Border Guard and Coast Guard, and that it is located within Finland's economic zone.

According to a government press release on Tuesday afternoon, the authorities have located the damaged point in the Balticconnector natural gas pipeline. In addition, there is damage to the communication cable between the countries.

The tabloid Iltalehti (IL) cited a foreign and security policy source as saying that the government and the Finnish Defence Forces suspect Russia of attacking the pipeline. According to Finnish and Estonian seismologists, no seismic activity indicating an explosion has been detected near the pipeline.

The Finnish Security Intelligence Service (Supo) and the Finnish Border Guard are taking part in the investigation of the incident. Finland’s National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) said late Monday that it would make a statement about the case on Tuesday afternoon, but that was cancelled without explanation.

Fossil gas network company Gasgrid Finland and Estonian gas network operator Elering noticed an unusual drop in pressure in the Balticconnector pipeline between the countries shortly before 2am on Sunday.

On Monday, Gasgrid Finland said the only possible reason for the pressure drop in the Balticconnector pipeline is a hole in the pipe, which has only been in use for a few years. It could be out of use for months due to the leak.

According to Supo, cooperation between authorities and companies is always close in the case of disruptions to critical infrastructure.

On Tuesday afternoon, Supo told Yle that the Prime Minister's Office would be responsible for announcements related to the case.

Border Guard communications director, Commander Kimmo Ahvonen, said that the Border Guard, as a maritime authority, is in close cooperation with companies that own critical infrastructure.

“The Border Guard is investigating the matter as much as is possible at sea within its own capabilities,” he told Yle late Monday.

The Balticconnector marine gas pipeline opened in 2020, linking Inkoo, Finland, with Paldiski, Estonia. Inkoo (known as Ingå in Swedish) is about 60km west of Helsinki, while Paldiski is some 50km west of Tallinn.

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