Finland Says China Promised Full Cooperation in Pipeline Probe
Finland on Wednesday said China had promised to fully cooperate in the investigation of the destruction last month of the Balticconnector gas pipeline, which happened on the same night that three subsea telecoms cables in the area were also damaged.Finnish police have said they are investigating whether a Hong Kong registered container vessel, the NewNew Polar Bear, damaged the pipeline by dragging its anchor over the sea bed, but have not concluded whether this was an accident…
Russian Firm Says Baltic Telecoms Cable was Severed as Chinese Ship Passed Over
A Russian fiber optic cable under the Baltic Sea was completely severed last month when a Chinese container ship passed over it, state company Rostelecom said on Tuesday.Finnish investigators have already said they suspect the vessel, the NewNew Polar Bear, of causing serious damage to the nearby Balticconnector gas pipeline by dragging its anchor over the sea bed during the same voyage.Two other Baltic telecoms cables were damaged on the same night of Oct. 7 along the route that the ship was travelling…
Russia Says Telecoms Cable Damaged Last month Just Before Nearby Baltic Gas Pipeline
A Russian fibre optic cable under the Baltic Sea was damaged last month only 28 km (17 miles) from where a gas pipeline linking Finland and Estonia was damaged soon afterwards, Russian state company Rostelecom said on Tuesday.Finnish police believe damage to the Balticconnector gas pipeline was caused by a Chinese container ship dragging its anchor along the seabed but have not concluded whether this was an accident or a deliberate act.Security of sub-sea cables and pipelines in the Baltic has become a top concern against the background of the Ukraine war…
Sovcomflot IPO Expected in Q3 2016
The Russia's top shipping company Sovcomflot initial public offering (IPO) is expected in Q3 2016, part from the privatization program by the government. An IPO for Sovcomflot could take place later this year. The current fleet of Sovcomflot numbers 142 vessels with total deadweight of 12.4 million DWT. The troubled Russian economy will need for speed up the privatization of the country largest shipping company, as getting fresh funds into the budget for 2016. Russian president Vladimir Putin summoned on a meeting the directors of the leading state-owned companies, including Sovcomflot, Rostelecom, Transneft, Aeroflot and Rosneft, negotiation with the the IPO and privatizations.
Underwater 2 billion rubles Fiber-Optic Link
The cost of construction of underwater fiber-optic link from Kamchatka to Chukotka could exceed 2 billion rubles. Prospects for the project discussed the governor of the Chukotka Autonomous District Roman Kopin, the president of "Rostelecom" Sergei Kalugin and executive vice-president Alexander Rogov. It is reported by the press service of the head of Chukotka. Today communication services in Chukotka are available via satellites, so the communication quality is poor. According to experts, there are two ways to solve the problem: the redistribution capacity of the resource of the spacecraft "Express AM5" in favor of Chukotka or gasket link from Kamchatka to Anadyr.
Russia Plans to Sell Sovkomflot Shares in New York
Russia hopes to place shares of shipping company Sovkomflot in New York as part of its privatisation plans, a deputy minister of transport told reporters on Friday, a move which could face resistance due to confrontation with the West over Moscow's role in Ukraine. The government plans to raise 200 billion roubles ($3.8 bln) by selling stakes in state companies this year. The plans for the year involved the sale of shares in top oil producer Rosneft , Rostelecom, Sovkomflot and sea port Novorossiisk. Viktor Olersky said that Sovkomflot's share placement may be carried out next spring on a New York stock exchange. The plans, however, could be hampered by Russia's standoff with the West.
