The Estonian Rescue Board’s bomb squad on Wednesday removed a Russian submarine signal buoy that was found on a beach in Mustjala Parish on the Estonian island of Saaremaa, “Saarte Hääl”, a local newspaper, reported on 22 July.
The head of the bomb squad, Janek Sõnum, told the newspaper that the buoy was a Russian KSP submarine emergency signal buoy that, when released by the submarine, breaks the surface, shoots out a signal rocket and then lets out smoke for a while.
Since 2005, the western Estonian bomb squad has got 16 calls regarding such objects. Similar buoys have also been found on the Swedish coast, the newspaper added.
According to Sõnum, the resque board does not know where these buoys are coming from.
“Looking at the KSP, it seemed pretty fresh, so it begs the question, when was a Russian submarine near this coast and why?” the local resident who found the buoy, said.
I
Cover: the Russian Federation’s Baltic Fleet, based in Kaliningrad, uses Kilo-class submarines.
