Western intelligence finds no evidence of Russia's involvement in Baltic cable damage

The US and European intelligence agencies have failed to find evidence linking Russia to the damage of underwater cables on the Baltic Sea floor.

The senior officials from three countries involved in the investigation, US and European security services are increasingly leaning towards the conclusion that the cable damage was the result of accidents rather than sabotage, Caliber.Az reports via foreign media.

Officials clarified that no evidence was found suggesting that commercial ships deliberately dragged their anchors in the area where the underwater cables pass, following external instructions.

The evidence points to accidents caused by inexperienced crews and poor maintenance of the vessels. The US officials referred to clear indications that the damage to the underwater infrastructure was accidental. 

A European official noted that there is counterevidence to Russia's involvement in the incidents. On December 25, the EstLink 2 energy cable, running along the bottom of the Gulf of Finland between Finland and Estonia, was shut down due to an emergency. 

The Finnish police and border guard detained the oil tanker Eagle S, flying the flag of the Cook Islands, on suspicion of being involved in the damage to the cable. Estonian companies had notified authorities about the damage to three cables between the two countries. Subsequently, NATO initiated the Baltic Sentry mission, aimed at protecting the underwater infrastructure in the Baltic Sea.

By Naila Huseynova