Baltic Sea turmoil: Uncertainty over cable break culprits
Finnish President Alexander Stubb admitted there is no certainty about who is responsible for the cable breaks in the Baltic Sea. Local media suggest that authorities may be covering up Russia's role.
President Stubb stated that the five instances of cable breaks in the Baltic Sea over the past 15 months are not coincidental, but there is a lack of "complete certainty" regarding the perpetrator.
During a press conference, President Stubb emphasized that although there are suspicions, these cases differ from each other.
“Confirming the identity of the perpetrator is important but not crucial,” he noted. He added that it is more important to prevent such situations in the future and to respond quickly to any damage that occurs.
Juha Martelius, head of the Finnish counterintelligence agency, admitted that a state entity may be behind the incidents. However, as he highlighted in an interview with MTV, "the ultimate legal clarification of this issue may be unfeasible."
Media: Authorities are "covering up" Russia's role
The newspaper "Iltalehti" reports that Finnish authorities have changed their narrative regarding the cable damage in the Gulf of Finland. Initially, the role of the Russian tanker Eagle S was indicated, but lack of evidence of a Russian operation shifted the investigation's direction.
According to the newspaper's information, the Americans "made a deal" and were supposed to persuade Russia to stop saboteurs in the Baltic Sea, in exchange for NATO countries recognizing the damage to the undersea cables as "accidents or unexplained crimes."
In the background, as "Iltalehti" writes, are peace talks regarding Ukraine, and there is a desire to keep the situation in the Baltic separate from these negotiations.
Former head of Finnish military intelligence Pekka Toveri, now a Member of the European Parliament, does not rule out such a scenario. "Let's say that I do not consider such a scenario impossible," he commented.
