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An unexpected outage of a major power interconnector on Christmas Day has prompted an investigation by Finnish authorities, who haven’t dismissed the possibility of deliberate interference.

The Estlink-2 power cable, connecting Estonia and Finland’s power grids, ceased functioning during peak operation while transmitting 650MW from Finland. Despite the disruption, both nations maintained power supply due to adequate reserves.

Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo addressed the situation on Wednesday, indicating that repair work would begin once technicians identify the exact location of the fault. The incident has drawn the attention of both national police and border patrol units.

Finnish national grid chief Arto Pahkin revealed that two foreign vessels were traversing the cable’s location when the outage occurred, raising concerns about potential terrorism or vandalism.

While sabotage remains a possibility, technical malfunction cannot be dismissed. The Estlink-2 cable, now a decade old, previously experienced an extended outage from January to August this year due to technical issues in a difficult-to-access area. Its counterpart, Estlink-1, has also faced similar disruptions.

The investigation has focused on two vessels: the oil tanker *Eagle S* and the Hong Kong-registered container ship *Xin Xin Tian 2*. Finnish broadcaster Yle reported that *Eagle S* passed over the cable precisely when the outage occurred, notably slowing its speed at that moment.

Some analysts suggest the *Eagle S* might have deliberately deployed its anchor to damage undersea infrastructure, a tactic previously associated with Russian-linked vessels in European waters. The vessel’s classification by Lloyd’s of London as part of Russia’s ‘dark fleet’ – ships involved in circumventing Western oil sanctions – has intensified scrutiny. Following the incident, Finnish coast guard vessels escorted the *Eagle S*.

Europe has witnessed increasing incidents of undersea infrastructure damage, with several nations accusing Russia of conducting unofficial hybrid warfare in response to Western involvement in Ukraine. A recent incident involved the *Yi Peng 3*, a Chinese vessel accused of severing two telecommunication cables in Swedish waters.

In response to these incidents, six major European nations – Germany, France, Poland, Italy, Spain, and the United Kingdom – issued a statement condemning Russia’s “systematic attacks on European security architecture.” Swedish authorities reported that Chinese officials blocked their investigation attempts, and the *Yi Peng 3* departed without inspection by Western authorities.