A Kremlin supporter reportedly bragged on Sunday, Jan. 5, that Russia was responsible for the suspected plot to sever communication lines on Christmas day between Finland and Estonia in the Baltic Sea. Officials said the damage to the cables could take months to fix.
Leaders in the European Union weren’t exactly surprised by the acknowledgment. EU leaders said they believed this suspected “hybrid attack” was Moscow from the start.
What is new about the situation is that someone on Russian state television confirmed those suspicions.
Point phone camera here
Former Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Andrey Federov bragged that the cutting was intentional to hosts on the Russian station NTV and Russia gave authorities a “beautiful story” of a ship accidentally dropping its anchor while sailing.
When pressed on the relatively small impact the alleged operation had, Federov said that was not the point.
Federov said Russia wants to cause destruction and punish Ukraine’s European allies while regaining control of the Baltic Sea, which has been nicknamed “NATO Lake” because aside from Russia, every other nation with a Baltic Sea coastline is also a member of NATO.
Federov claimed a second time that Russia is behind the attacks in the Baltic Sea but it does run counter to Moscow’s claim that it had no concerns when Estlink-2 was severed.
The Kremlin itself is staying mostly mum on the incident.
As Straight Arrow News previously reported, Finnish authorities are holding the ship suspected of the underwater sabotage, the Eagle S, in Finland.
Helsinki officials say the vessel is part of a “shadow fleet” of Russian ships used to avoid Western sanctions and said officials are still inspecting the vessel.
The repairs to the Estlink-2 cable could reportedly take around seven months.
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Meanwhile, EU leaders said they’re concerned that more hybrid attacks may be coming from Moscow and believe that previous attacks on undersea lines in the Baltic Sea last year were also the work of Russia.
Tags: Euro, Europe, European Commission, European Union, Finland, Germany, Kremlin, Kyiv, Moscow, NATO, Russia, Russia-Ukraine War, Russian Oil, Ukraine, Ukraine aid, Ukraine Defense Ministry, Vladimir Putin
[RYAN ROBERTSON]
ONE OF THE KREMLIN’S CRONIES IS BRAGGING RUSSIA REALLY WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE PLOT TO SEVER COMMUNICATION LINES ON CHRISTMAS DAY BETWEEN FINLAND AND ESTONIA IN THE BALTIC SEA.
OF COURSE, IT’S NOT EXACTLY A SURPRISE.
E-U LEADERS BELIEVED THIS SUSPECTED “HYBRID ATTACK” WAS MOSCOW FROM THE START.
WHAT’S NEW IS SOMEONE ON RUSSIAN STATE TELEVISION CONFIRMING THE SUSPICIONS.
EX-DEPUTY FOREIGN MINISTER ANDREY FEDEROV BRAGS THE CUTTING WAS INTENTIONAL AND RUSSIA FED AUTHORITIES A “BEAUTIFUL STORY” OF A SHIP ACCIDENTALLY DROPPING ITS ANCHOR WHILE SAILING.
WHEN PRESSED ON THE RELATIVELY SMALL IMPACT THE OPERATION ACTUALLY HAD, FEDEROV SAID THAT’S NOT THE POINT.
FEDEROV SAYS RUSSIA WANTS TO CAUSE DESTRUCTION AND PUNISH UKRAINE’S EUROPEAN ALLIES WHILE REGAINING CONTROL OF THE BALTIC SEA–NICKNAMED “NATO LAKE.” BECAUSE ASIDE FROM RUSSIA–EVERY OTHER NATION WITH A BALTIC SEA COASTLINE IS ALSO A MEMBER OF NATO.
AGAIN, FEDEROV CLAIMING RUSSIA IS BEHIND THE ATTACKS IS NO SURPRISE, BUT IT DOES RUN COUNTER TO MOSCOW’S CLAIM IT HAD NO CONCERNS WHEN ESTLINK-2 WAS SEVERED.
THE KREMLIN ITSELF IS STILL STAYING MOSTLY MUM ON THE INCIDENT.
AS WE PREVIOUSLY REPORTED, FINNISH AUTHORITIES ARE HOLDING THE SHIP SUSPECTED OF THE UNDERWATER SABOTAGE, EAGLE-S, IN FINLAND.
HELSINKI SAYS THE VESSEL IS ACTUALLY PART OF A “SHADOW FLEET” OF RUSSIAN SHIPS USED TO AVOID WESTERN SANCTIONS AND SAYS IT’S STILL INSPECTING THE VESSEL.
THE REPAIRS TO THE ESTLINK-2 CABLE COULD TAKE MONTHS. AND WHILE THAT IS TAKING PLACE,
E-U LEADERS SAY THEY ARE CONCERNED MORE HYBRID ATTACKS MAY BE COMING FROM MOSCOW AND BELIEVE PREVIOUS ATTACKS ON UNDER-SEA LINES IN THE BALTIC SEA LAST YEAR WERE ALSO THE WORK OF RUSSIA.
AS A RESULT, NATO IS UPPING SECURITY IN THE BALTIC REGION… WITH PLANS TO PERFORM MORE PATROLS AIDED BY UNDERWATER DRONERS
FOR MORE ON THIS STORY– DOWNLOAD THE STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS APP OR VISIT SAN DOT COM.
FOR STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS– I’M RYAN ROBERTSON.
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