Baltic NATO island goes dark, electricity outage explained
NATO island in the Baltic Sea left without power (Illustrative photo: Getty Images)
The Swedish island of Gotland in the Baltic Sea was without power for several hours on the evening of August 23, according to the island outlet Helagotland.
The blackout, which affected the entire island simultaneously, occurred around 9:30 p.m. on Saturday.
According to the energy company Geab, the outage was caused by a fault in the power line connecting the island to the mainland.
The Geab website also experienced technical issues due to overload, as many people were searching for information at the same time.
The power outage on Gotland caused problems with the water supply. The island has been facing water shortages since mid-July, and the blackout worsened the situation.
Around 11:30 p.m., the company announced that electricity had been restored for all consumers on the island.
The exact cause of the outage is still unknown, but the energy company confirmed that there is no suspicion of sabotage.
Gotland island
Gotland is a strategically important outpost in the Baltic Sea. The island is located near key shipping routes connecting the Baltic countries to the rest of the world and can serve as a foothold for controlling maritime traffic in the region. Gotland hosts a large Swedish military base, Visby Garrison, as well as Visby Airport.
In January 2022, several Russian landing ships gathered off its coast, prompting the Swedish government to urgently deploy troops to Gotland.
According to RBC-Ukraine, in May 2024, Sweden strengthened the island’s defenses due to the threat from Russia. Supreme Commander of the Swedish Armed Forces, Mikael Bydén, stated that Russian President Vladimir Putin is eyeing Gotland closely, as his goal is to gain control over the Baltic Sea.
