Ship

It emerged that the ship had failed several safety checks last year. One sailor from the vessel is missing and presumed dead.

The incident was one of several recent cases of undersea cable ruptures, sparking fears over potential Russian sabotage and spying in the region.

Officials say the damage to Estlink 2, a power connection with the capacity to provide half of Estonia’s winter electricity needs, did not disrupt service, although it did drive up energy prices in the country and the other Baltic nations.