President Vladimir Putin dismissed claims suggesting Russia’s hand in the disruption at the Balticconnector gas pipeline, calling them “utterly baseless.”
Addressing the issue in a press conference in Kyrgyzstan, Putin speculated that natural events, such as an earthquake or potential damage from a ship’s anchor, might have been the reasons behind the pipeline leak.
The said pipeline, facilitating the transfer of 2.6bn cubic metres of gas annually between Finland and Estonia, reported a leak last Sunday. While Finnish officials are currently probing the incident with the theory of intentional sabotage, suspicions about Russia’s involvement have been raised.
Repairing a subsea gas pipeline connecting #Finland and #Estonia that was shut on Sunday due to a suspected leak could take months or more if a puncture is confirmed, Finnish gas system operator Gasgrid said.
The Balticconnector pipeline suffered a sharp drop in pressure, and… pic.twitter.com/cYAjMdys7E
— Share_Talk ™ (@Share_Talk) October 8, 2023
Estonia’s Prime Minister, Kaja Kallas, mentioned she would keep all possibilities open, including potential Russian interference, until the inquiry concludes.
On the other hand, Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo attributed the leak to an “external influence”.
This suspected act of sabotage has heightened concerns in the market regarding the security of other gas infrastructures in the Baltic and North Sea regions. Coupled with the ongoing tensions in Israel affecting gas supplies, there has been a notable 47% surge in wholesale gas prices in the UK since the beginning of the week.
