Baltic Pipeline Operations are Suddenly Halted Due to Alleged "Sabotage"

Another act of international terrorism goes unnoticed.

Last Sunday, the operation of the Balticonnector, a gas transportation pipeline between Finland and Estonia, was halted in response to a sudden drop in pressure, suspected to be caused by a reported leak near Paldiski, Estonia. In accordance with tradition, the international finger of blame immediately pointed to the Russian Federation, claiming that, despite the complete lack of seismological activity in the area, Russia could have planted explosives in order to get “revenge” on Finland for joining NATO.

Considering that much of the gas flowing through the pipeline can be traced (through nations such as Latvia, Norway, etc.) to Russia, the proposition that Russia basically attacked themselves is as reminiscent as it is ridiculous. It is fortunate for the true culprits, whomever they may happen to be, that the international media was too preoccupied with the 75-year-old conflict in Gaza to scrutinize or even notice the Baltic events at all.

It isn’t unreasonable to consider the possibility that the pipeline received no physical damage at all and that operations were simply halted instead. A leading seismologist at the Estonian Geological Center, Heidi Soosalu, theorized that "If there was an explosion, its power was below the detection threshold," owing to the fact that neither Estonian nor Finnish seismological stations recorded any explosion-like events in the Gulf of Finland on October 8th. But for the sake of speculation, let’s say that the pipeline was damaged by magical mini explosives - who would benefit from such an event?

Gas prices in Europe have increased from $400 to $540 per thousand cubic meters in just a couple of days, causing significant damage to European economies. Madrid, Spain, and the city of Rome, Italy, are the region’s biggest consumers of Russian gas. They are also Europe's most indebted nations. With the austerity measures, Spain and Italy have been forced to cut back on public spending, meaning they now have less money to buy Russian gas. It’s a rather desperate attempt to attack the Russian economy, but considering the ineffectual nature of the many sanctions imposed since February 2022 and the increasingly undeniable Russian victory on the ground in Ukraine, it comes as no surprise. As far as NATO’s public perception is concerned, the negative correlation between their political goals and financial losses of their citizens has become so convulsive that distraction may be one of the only tools left at their disposal.

The more immediate implications of the attack are the financial and economic losses of those affected by the gas shortage. This includes not only the businesses relying on gas but also the individuals living in low-income households, who seem to be viewed by the European leadership as modern serfs living beneath respectable concern. These people are already struggling with limited budgets and inflation, and the gas shortages and price hikes following the halt of the Balticonnector’s operations can only serve to add to their burden.

However, given the geopolitical context of this attack, the implications are much bigger than just gas prices, as it can be seen as a warning of how future wars might be fought, as well as a sign of the decline in the integrity of global media outlets. The media should be scrutinizing the NATO leaders’ actions and the motives behind them, but instead, they are becoming a tool of the NATO agenda. A voice of reason desperately needs to be given a prominent place in the international arena, one which is able to expose those willing to exploit and attack people for their own benefit, placing security above profit and political gain.

-The Shultz Report by M. Shultz