The picture provided by The Finnish Border Guard shows Finnish Border Guard's offshore patrol vessel Turva guarding on October 11, 2023 at sea near the place where damaged Balticconnector gas pipeline is pinpointed at the Gulf of Finland. Lehtikuva/FINNISH BORDER GUARD via REUTERS
By Anne Kauranen
HELSINKI, Dec 4 (Reuters) – The navies of Britain, Finland and Estonia were practising subsea infrastructure protection in the Baltic Sea region on Monday together with the Finnish Border Guard, Finland’s Defence Forces said in a statement.
In early October a gas pipeline linking Estonia and Finland was damaged along with three telecommunications cables in the area, which is known for its dense seabed infrastructure.
Finland and Estonia suspect the gas pipeline and cable incidents are linked, and believe a Hong Kong-flagged container carrier caused the damage by dragging its anchor along the seabed. China has said it is willing to provide necessary information in accordance with international law.
The aim of the joint exercise, which continues on Tuesday, is to develop capabilities for the surveillance and protection of undersea infrastructure and to repel subsea military threats, Finland said.
“After the Balticconnector incident, many countries of the Baltic Sea region have increased their cooperation and their own national maritime surveillance operations,” Commodore Janne Huusko of the Finnish Defence Command said.
All three participants are members of the NATO military alliance but the exercise is taking place under their Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF) defence cooperation, which encompasses the Nordic and Baltic states, the Netherlands and Britain.
Britain said on Thursday it would send seven Royal Navy ships and a maritime patrol aircraft to take part in JEF patrols in the region in December.
In October, Britain had said it planned to step up its military presence in Northern Europe, including deploying 20,000 troops to the region next year, to help protect critical infrastructure at a time of growing concern over Russian sabotage.
The Baltic Sea was also the scene last year of the destruction of the Nord Stream gas pipelines from Russia to Germany, which investigators say were deliberately blown up, although they have not yet named a suspect.
(Reporting by Anne Kauranen; Editing by Kirsten Donovan)
(c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2023.
Join the gCaptain Club for curated content, insider opinions, and vibrant community discussions.
Join the 109,807 members that receive our newsletter.
Have a news tip? Let us know.
The U.S. military has carried out a precision airstrike on a key command-and-control facility operated by Iran-backed Houthi militants in Sana’a, Yemen’s capital city, according to U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM)....
Twelve European countries are set to clamp down on tankers that move millions of barrels of Russian petroleum around the world — by asking to see how they’re protected against oil spills and other high-cost claims.
The EU’s 15th sanctions package against Russia for the first time targets Yamal LNG by including a carrier in service of the project. The ice-capable tanker Christophe de Margerie, one...
Access exclusive insights, engage in vibrant discussions, and gain perspectives from our CEO.
Sign Up
Maritime and offshore news trusted by our 109,807 members delivered daily straight to your inbox.
Essential news coupled with the finest maritime content sourced from across the globe.
Sign Up
Join The Club
