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Timeline of suspected underwater sabotage at Baltic Sea
After a series of power outages, telecom links and gas pipelines since Russia invaded Ukraine 2022, the Baltic Sea region has been on high alert. The NATO military alliance increased its presence by adding aircraft, frigates and naval drones. The police have determined that some incidents were caused through sabotage, while others were accidents or are still under investigation. DECEMBER: FINLAND - ESTONIA TELECOM CANAL Finnish police on December 31, seized A cargo vessel suspected of sabotaging a undersea cable that runs from Helsinki through the Gulf of Finland to?Estonia was stopped on its way from Russia. Police said that the Fitburg vessel was caught dragging an anchor in the water and directed to Finnish territorial waters. Investigators reported that the 14 crew members of the ship were from Russia and Georgia and two had been arrested, while two other were banned from travelling. An investigation is ongoing JANUARY - FEBRUARY 2025 - SWEDEN - LATVIA AND FINLAND - GERMANY TELECOM CABLING A fibre-optic cable undersea connecting Latvia with the Swedish island Gotland failed on January 26. This prompted an investigation by NATO, police and other agencies. Sweden seized the Maltese flagged bulk vessel Vezhen and boarded it on suspicion of gross sabotage. The Bulgarian shipping company 'Navigation Maritime Bulgare' said that Vezhen’s anchor may have hit the cable in high winds, but denied any sabotage. Later, a Swedish prosecutor ruled that the breach was accidental and released vessel. In the month that followed, the Finnish telecom operator Cinia reported it had detected issues on its C Lion1 link between Finland and Germany. However, they concluded the damage could have been caused as early as the 26th of January, the day after the Gotland incident. DECEMBER 2024 :?POWER CABLES AND INTERNET CABES On December 25, four telephone lines and the Estlink 2 underwater power cable, which connects Finland to Estonia, were cut. Finland has seized the Cook Islands Eagle S tanker, on suspicion that it was responsible for the damage caused by its anchor dragging. The ship is also believed to be part of an "shadow fleet", which circumvents sanctions against Russian oil. The Kremlin stated that the seizure of the ship was not a major concern for it. Later, the police in Finland recovered an anchor that they believed belonged to the ship. A?Finnish Court dismissed an Eagle S case in October 2025. The court ruled that prosecutors had failed to prove intention and that the flag state of the ship or the home country of the crew must pursue any negligence. The vessel was released after no charges were filed against Caravella LLC, a United Arab Emirates-based company. BALTIC TELECOM CABLES: NOVEMBER 20, 2024 On November 17 and 18 two undersea fiber-optic communication cables, located at a distance of more than 200 km (about 100 nautical miles) in the Baltic Sea, were cut. This raised suspicions about sabotage. The investigators focused on the Chinese bulk carrier Yi Peng 3. An analysis of MarineTraffic showed that the coordinates of the ship matched the time and location of the breaches. After a diplomatic standoff lasting a whole month, China finally allowed investigators and representatives from Germany, Sweden, Finland, and Denmark to board the Yi Peng 3 on December 21, along with Chinese officials. The Accident Investigation Authority of Sweden said that a Swedish investigation found no conclusive proof to suggest the ship intentionally dragged its cable to damage it. BALTICCONNECTOR - GAS PIPE AND CABLES OCTOBER 20, 2023 The Balticconnector subsea pipeline that connects Finland and Estonia was cut by the Chinese container ship NewNew Polar Bear, according to Finnish investigators, on October 8, 2023. The Estonian police suspected that the ship had also damaged telecoms cables linking Estonia with Finland and Sweden between October 8-9, before striking the gas pipeline while on its way to St Petersburg in Russia. According to a Hong Kong charging document seen by us, the ship's captain was charged with causing "criminal damages" to cables and pipelines in Hong Kong during a hearing held last year. SEPTEMBER: NORD STREAM?BLASTS In September 2022, explosions damaged Nord Stream 1 & Nord Stream 2 which were built by Gazprom across the Baltic Sea to supply natural gas to Germany. Western officials have suggested that Russia has blown up its own gas pipelines. This interpretation is rejected by Moscow, which blames the United States of America, Britain, and Ukraine for these explosions. These blasts have largely cut off Russian gas from the European Market. These countries deny involvement. In November 2025 the top court of Italy will be in place Approve the transfer A Ukrainian man's journey to Germany Suspected of Coordinating The sabotage. Last year, a Polish court ruled that German prosecutors could not have a Ukrainian diving trainer. Reporting by Anne Kauranen, Essi Lahto, Nerijus Adomiaitis, Terje Solsvik, Johan Ahlander, Stine Jacobsen, Stine Ahlander, Johan Ahlander, Stine Jakobsen, Andrius Sytas, Anna Ringstrom, Simon Johnson, and Agnieszka Oleniska in Helsinki; Editing by Alex Richardson David Evans Mark Heinrich
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Asia spot prices flat amid muted demand, ample supply
The Asian spot prices for liquefied gas started the year flat, due to a lack of regional demand and an abundance of supply. This follows a 34% drop in 2025. Average LNG price for February deliveries to Northeast Asia Industry sources said that the price was?estimated at $9.60 per mmBtu (million British thermal units), which is unchanged from last week. Siamak Adibi is the director of gas and LNG supply analysis at consultancy FGE. He said that despite outages in Canada at LNG Canada, and in the U.S. at Freeport LNG, LNG supply levels in December were likely to reach new records. He added that "weak Asian demand" has enabled Europe to accept?spot-cargoes with greater ease. Masanori Odaka is a senior analyst at Rystad Energy. He said that the end-of-year holiday season also reduced trading activity. Warmer-than-average weather forecasts are expected in many cities across Asia and North America, which will keep a negative outlook on gas and LNG prices for January. He said that the arbitrage between U.S. LNG and Asia was "deeply closed", meaning Europe would continue to receive U.S. LNG throughout most of the first quarter of 2026. For this to change, the LNG spot price in Asia must rise by more than $1/mmBtu compared to the LNG prices in Europe. S&P Global Energy's daily Northwest Europe LNG Marker price benchmark (NWM) for cargoes to be delivered in February, on an ex ship (DES) basis, was $9.112/mmBtu as of December 31. This represents a discount of $0.535/mmBtu compared to the TTF hub price. Spark Commodities set the price at $9.173/mmBtu. Argus put it at $8.64/mmBtu. Aly Blakeway is the manager of Atlantic LNG for S&P Global Energy. She said that while milder temperatures forecasts and a slower withdrawal rate in December have 'easened immediate pressure', Europe has entered winter with significantly lower storage levels than previous years. To stay 'balanced, she needs to bring in significant volumes of waterborne LNG through January and into February. Blakeway added that the continent's dependence on LNG will?deepen as Russian pipeline gas, LNG, and regasification capacities continue to expand. The LNG-TTF spreads may widen as Europe consolidates its position as a sink for global LNG surplus. According to Spark Commodities analyst Qasim Afghanistan, in LNG freight, Atlantic rates dropped to $71,750/day while Pacific rates fell to $55,000/day. Afghan said that the U.S. front month arbitrage for Northeast Asia via Cape of Good Hope has closed further and now points more strongly towards Europe. The arbitrage via Panama is also closing out, and it's pointing again to Europe. (Reporting and editing by Emily Chow)
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Source: Canada asks Air India for an investigation into the incident where a pilot was removed from a plane after being found to be under the influence of alcohol.
A person with knowledge of the situation said that Canada's Transport regulator had 'asked Air India to conduct an investigation into the incident where a pilot was removed from the plane before takeoff and was found to be drunk, according to a source familiar with the case. The person who spoke on Friday said that two breathalyzer tests performed by Canadian police officers at Vancouver International Airport proved the pilot to be unfit for duty. Transport Canada referred to the incident as "a serious matter" in a letter sent to Air India. Authorities are likely to take enforcement action, according to this person. The person asked for anonymity because they weren't authorized to speak with the media. Transport Canada didn't respond to an emailed comment request outside of regular business hours. Air India released a statement saying that the flight from Vancouver, Canada to Delhi, India on December 23, experienced a "last-minute" delay because of the incident. They also said an alternate pilot had been brought in to fly the flight. Air India said Canadian authorities had raised concerns over the pilot's suitability for duty but didn't provide any details. The pilot was removed from flying duty during the investigation. Air India has a "zero-tolerance" policy for any violation of the applicable rules and regulations, Air India stated. "Pending the result of the investigation any confirmed violation will be subject to strict disciplinary actions in accordance with company policy." According to Flightradar24's and Air India's websites, the aircraft was a Boeing 787, which can accommodate up to 344 people. Ajit Oommen, a Transport Canada official, sent a letter to Air India asking them to submit their findings and the steps they have taken to prevent similar incidents in the future by the 26th of January. Air India has come under heavy scrutiny ever since the Boeing Dreamliner crash on June 12, which killed 260 people. India's aviation regulator flagged multiple safety breaches at the airline. The airline was previously owned by government until 2022. Air India pilots, who are owned by Tata Group, and Singapore Airlines have also been under scrutiny. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation in India (DGCA), which oversees civil aviation, sent warnings to four Air India Pilots this week. They cited "serious concerns" about regulatory compliance and crew decision-making. According to warning notices from December 29, the DGCA said that pilots had accepted an aircraft last year for operation despite knowing about "repeated snags", and "existing system degradations." Flightradar24 reports that the aircraft in question is a Boeing 787-8 used for long-haul flight. Earlier this summer, the DGCA proposed stricter rules for alcohol testing of crew members. One rule would result in a pilot losing their license permanently if they failed three tests. The current rules stipulate that post-flight breathalyzer tests for each flight must be performed at the first Indian port of landing. According to Canadian law, a pilot is not allowed to operate an aircraft for 12 hours after consuming alcohol. (Reporting and editing by Michael Perry, Thomas Derpinghaus, and Abhijith Ganapavaram)
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Source: Canada asks Air India for an investigation into the incident where a pilot reported to duty while under the influence of alcohol.
A person familiar with the situation said that Canada's Transport regulator asked Air India to look into an "incident" where a pilot reported for duty while under the influence of alcohol and failed two breathalyzer testing. A person who spoke to the person claimed that the tests were conducted at Vancouver International Airport by the Canadian police after the pilot had been asked to leave the plane. Transport Canada referred to the incident as "a serious matter" in a letter sent to Air India. The person said that authorities are likely to take enforcement action. The person asked for anonymity because he wasn't?authorized to speak with the media. Transport Canada didn't respond to an email request for comment sent outside of'regular business hours. Air India released a statement in which it confirmed that the flight from Vancouver, Canada to Delhi, India on December 23, experienced a late-minute delay as a result of the incident. It also added that a substitute pilot was brought into the cockpit to fly the flight. The pilot was?taken out of flying duty during the investigation process. Air India has a policy of zero tolerance for any violation to applicable rules and regulations," Air India stated. "Pending the result of the investigation any confirmed violation will be subject to strict disciplinary actions in accordance with company policy." Ajit Oommen, a Transport Canada official, has written to Air India asking them to submit their findings and the steps they have taken to prevent similar incidents in the future by the 26th of January. India has come under heavy scrutiny since the crash of a Boeing Dreamliner on June 12, which killed 260 people. India's aviation regulator flagged "multiple safety lapses" at the airline that was owned by the Indian government until 2022. Air India pilots, who are owned by the?Tata Group, and Singapore Airlines have also been under scrutiny. India's Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) sent warnings this week to four Air India Pilots regarding "serious safety issues" related to regulatory compliance, and flight crew decision-making. According to warning notices dated 29 December, the DGCA stated that pilots had accepted an aircraft last year despite knowing of "repeated snags," and "existing system degradations." Flightradar24 reports that the aircraft in question is a Boeing 787-8 used for long-haul flight. (Reporting and editing by Michael Perry; Abhijith Ganapavaram)
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Russia and Ukraine accuse each other of attacks on civilians on New Year's Day
Russia and Ukraine have accused each other over the New Years of targeting civilians. Moscow reported a deadly strike on a hotel it occupies in Southern Ukraine, while Kyiv claimed there was another wide attack on its power supplies. The reports coincident with intense talks to bring an end the four-year old war overseen by U.S. president?Donald??Trump. Both countries claim that they are doing everything possible to influence the views of the other and help shape the outcome. "On the New Year, Russia deliberately brings about war." "Over 200 drones attacked Ukraine during the night," Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskiy wrote in a Telegram message. He said energy infrastructure in seven different regions of Ukraine was targeted. Russia has accused Ukraine of killing 24 people in a drone attack on a cafe and hotel where civilians were celebrating the New Year. The strike took place in an area of southern Ukraine controlled by Russia. The Ukrainian military did not respond immediately to a comment request. It has accused Russia that it killed many civilians during its own attacks against Ukrainian cities. Zelenskiy stated that Russia's attacks during the holiday season showed Ukraine couldn't afford to delay air defence supplies. "(Our) Allies know the names of equipment that we lack. "We expect everything that was agreed upon with the United States for our defense at the end?of?December to arrive on time", he said without elaborating. RUSSIANS ALLEGE "WAR CRIME" Vladimir Saldo said that three Ukrainian drones attacked the Khorly celebrations, a village on the coast, in what he called a "deliberate attack" against civilians. He claimed that a large number of people were burned alive. The Russian Foreign Ministry reported that 50 people were injured, including six children who are being treated in hospital. The ministry issued a statement in which it called the attack a war crime. "There's no doubt the attack was planned ahead of time, with drones targeting areas where civilians were gathered for New Year Eve celebrations," it said. Moscow accused Kyiv on Monday of attempting to attack the residence of Vladimir Putin. Ukrainian and European officials said that the incident never happened, and U.S. officials also found out that Ukraine had not targeted the residence. Russia announced on Thursday that it would provide Washington with proof. Saldo’s press service claimed to have taken photos of the aftermath, but we were unable to confirm the attack in the Kherson region. Images showed that at least one body was visible under a white sheet. There were signs of a fire and what appeared to be bloodstains on the floor. The Russian TASS agency released a video?showing fragments of drones with Ukrainian writing. Ukrainian officials report that civilians are killed by Russian air strikes, including in Kherson, a city held by Ukraine, near the front line. Oleksandr Pukudin, the Ukrainian governor of Kherson Region, posted a video that showed the apartment of the woman, aged 87, which was badly damaged. Oleksiy?Kuleba, Ukraine's vice prime minister, said that rail facilities were attacked in three different regions. This included a locomotive depot as well as a station located in the frontline area of Sumy. The Russian Defence Ministry said that its strikes on Thursday had struck military targets as well as energy infrastructure, which it claimed were being used by Ukraine's military to support their military. Saldo, a Russian-appointed official, said in a later report that a child of five years old was killed and three other people were injured by a Ukrainian drone attack on a vehicle near Tarasivka. This is another coastal village close to Khorly. He didn't provide any evidence. Dmitry Medvedev told TASS, the deputy chairman of Russia’s Security Council that the attackers and their commanders who committed this hotel attack should be targeted. Kherson is among four regions of Ukraine that Russia claims as its own by 2022. Kyiv, and the majority of Western countries, have denounced this move as a land grab. (Reporting and writing by Max Hunder, bureaux; editing by Ros Russel)
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Yemen's Aden Airport Closes As Saudi-UAE Rift Deepens
On 'Thursday, air traffic was stopped at the international airport in Aden as tensions between Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates continued. The two Gulf countries are reshaping Yemen through their rivalry. Saudi Arabia, which is internationally recognized as the government of Yemen, has ordered new restrictions for flights into and out of the UAE to try to reduce tensions. The move was met with a defiant reaction: Yemen's Transport Minister, who is 'aligned' with Yemen's separatists in the south, instead of 'complying', ordered an immediate shutdown of all air traffic. The Southern Transitional Council (STC), the Yemeni separatist force backed by the UAE that captured most of southern Yemen last week, has blamed the closures on the "sudden" new regulations that Saudi Arabia tried to impose. The UAE Foreign Ministry didn't immediately respond to a comment request on the airport closing. The fight is just the latest in a growing crisis in Yemen, which has revealed a deep rift in the relationship between the two Gulf oil powers. Saudi Arabia accused the UAE this week of?pressuring Yemen STC to push toward the kingdom's border and declared national security as a "red line." The UAE responded by stating that it was withdrawing its remaining forces from Yemen. This was in response to an airstrike carried out by the?Saudi led coalition forces against the southern Yemeni Port of Mukalla, which the coalition claimed was a dock that provided foreign military support to separatists. (Reporting and editing by Howard Goller, Maha El Dahan)
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Serbia's NIS receives US approval for the resume of production at its refinery
Energy Minister said on Wednesday that the U.S. granted Serbia's majority-Russian refiner NIS a licence to operate until January 23. This will allow it to resume its production after a 36-day hiatus. After a series of waivers since January, the Office of Foreign Assets Control of the U.S. Treasury Department imposed sanctions against NIS as part of broader actions against Russia's Energy Sector in October. Dubravka Handanovic, Serbia's Energy Minister, posted on Wednesday evening: "Great news for the end the year. The US OFAC has granted the NIS company a licence to operate up until 23 January. The refinery in Pancevo is now ready to resume its work after a 36-day hiatus. The?sanctions halted crude supply via Croatia's JANAF pipeline (JANF.ZA), shutting down the production at Pancevo refinery. JANAF announced in a Wednesday evening statement that it had "obtained a license approving participation until 23 January 2026?in activities which are customary and essential for the transportation of oil". Last week, the?OFAC gave NIS a deadline of March 24 for them to negotiate the sale of its Russian stake. Gazprom, a sanctioned oil company of Russia, owns 44.9% of NIS. The Serbian Government owns 29.9% of NIS, while the rest is held by employees and small shareholders. Aleksandar Vucic, the Serbian president, said that Gazprom was in talks with Hungary’s MOL (MOLB.BU), over a potential sale of its NIS majority stake. (Reporting and editing by Andrew Heavens; Ivana Sekularac)
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Trump's next target in Washington? Public golf courses
The Trump administration canceled this week the lease of three public golf course in Washington held by the nonprofit National Links Trust. This was a new opportunity for President Donald Trump to stamp his mark on an important part of the city's life. In a letter sent to NLT on Tuesday, Trump's Interior Department announced that it would terminate the 50-year lease the group had received in 2020 for the management of the golf courses. The agency claimed that the nonprofit had failed to invest in the properties as required and not paid rent. NLT denied the claims that it had not paid its rent or defaulted. The Interior Department, it said, had given little information on the matter. In an email, it stated that "our lease allows rent to offset by course improvements. Rent?offsets have been approved by the National Park Service." "NLT worked with the National Park Service for?five years, and we first heard about a rent issue in the last couple of weeks after we got the default notice." The National Park Service belongs to the Interior Department. Trump, the Republican who returned to power in Washington earlier this year, is sweeping the city on many fronts. He has deployed the National Guard for street patrols, renamed the Kennedy Center performing-arts center as the Trump-Kennedy Center through a board that he installed and threatened to take control of the city government. Locally, the?president is mirroring his national actions. Trump, a golf enthusiast himself, owns golf courses around the world including one in Virginia. The NLT oversees three public golf courses in Washington, including East Potomac Park Rock Creek Park and Langston Golf Course. In its letter, the Interior Department stated that NLT did not make capital improvements or renovations to each course as required by?the lease. It also claimed that NLT failed to show that it had any plan for doing so. The letter read: "NLT failed in its duty to assure NPS that NLT had the funding, capability or plan to meet its capital investment obligations." A copy of the letter was obtained by. The organization stated that it would continue to manage the golf courses to keep them open for now. It said that long-term renovations would stop. The White House has not responded to a question about whether Trump plans to build golf courses. The Interior Department issued a statement saying that the Trump administration is proud of its ability to get the job done and partner with other organizations who have the same goals. NLT stated that it would remain in touch with the administration, and was "stubbornly optimistic" about finding a way to preserve "affordable public golf in Washington". NLT stated that since taking over the stewardship for Rock Creek, East Potomac and Langston golf courses five years ago, NLT had consistently adhered to all lease obligations in order to work towards ensuring a bright future for public-access golf in DC. "We fundamentally disagree with the administration's description of NLT being in default on the lease." (Reporting and editing by Colleen J. Jenkins, David Gregorio, Ryan Patrick Jones. Additional reporting by Jeff Mason.
Police in Finland say that Finland has made progress with its investigation of cable breaches
The Finnish police said that they made progress on Friday in their?criminal? investigation into the damage done to an underwater telecommunications cable belonging to operator Elisa.
The police seized the cargo ship "Fitburg", which was on its way from Russia to Israel, on suspicion of sabotaging the telecoms cable that runs across the Gulf of Finland between Helsinki and Estonia.
Investigators said on Thursday that they had arrested 2 of the 14 crew, placed a travel ban?on another two and began questioning them. The 14 crew members are Russian, Georgian, Kazakhstan, and Azerbaijani nationals.
In a Friday statement, Detective Chief Superintendent 'Risto Lohi of Finland’s National Bureau of Investigation stated that the interviews had clarified the events and roles of crew members.
Investigators previously stated that the Fitburg was dragging its anchor on the ocean when the incident occurred. It was then boarded and brought ashore by the Finnish authorities for inspection.
The Finnish authorities say that the cable currently is not working, but it will be some time before the full extent of damage can be determined.
Alar Karis, the Estonian president, said that the incident was hoped to not be a deliberate act. However, he added that the investigation would?clarify matters'.
The Baltic Sea region - which includes the Gulf of Finland - has been?hit by
A string of incidents
In recent years, gas pipelines, electricity cables, and telecoms links located on the seabed have been damaged. This has triggered extensive criminal investigations.
There is increasing concern in Europe about what officials perceive as an increase of hybrid threats coming from Russia, which Moscow denies.
The Russian embassy in Helsinki confirmed that it is in contact with the Finnish authorities.
In a press release, it stated: "We hope the situation will be solved in a spirit co-operation and in accordance to the relevant legal standards." Essi Lehto (Reporting, Terje Solsvik, Gareth Jones).
(source: Reuters)