SPASATEL KAREV

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Salvage ship repairing damaged Russian cable

Authorities in Finland have discovered a damaged Russian telecommunications cable after a pipeline leak in the Baltic Sea was discovered in early October. The Ministry of Economy in Helsinki said on Nov 6, 2023, that the 'Spasatel Karev' began repairing Rostelecom's Baltika telecommunications cable in the Gulf of Finland on that day. The Finnish ministry was informed by the Russian company on Oct 12 about the damage to the Baltika telecommunications cable, which was partially located in Finland's exclusive economic zone, five days after the Balticconnector pipeline between Finland and Estonia was closed due to a pressure drop. The Baltika cable stretches over a distance of around a thousand kilometers from Saint Petersburg to the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad. As the company told the Finnish authorities, it needs to be repaired quickly to ensure supplies in the region. In October, Finnish authorities said the leak in the gas pipeline between Finland and Estonia was probably caused by an anchor. This presumably belongs to the 'NewNew Polar Bear'. According to the information, the six-ton anchor probably hit the Balticconnector and was torn off. The police tried unsuccessfully to contact the captain of the ship, which continued on his way into Russian waters, Finland is cooperating with China to investigate the damage. Sweden later announced that an undersea telecommunications cable between Sweden and Estonia had been damaged by “external force” or “manipulation,” probably at the same time as the gas pipeline. The incidents raised suspicions of Russian involvement. Finland joined NATO in 2023 as a result of Russia's war against Ukraine. Sweden also wants to join.