Following the damage to three communication cables between Finland and Estonia, Finnish authorities suspect "serious sabotage" of the oil tanker Eagle S, which was sailing under the flag of the Cook Islands from a Russian port. The Estonian Navy is now guarding the undersea cable EstLink 2. Investigators are investigating suspicions that the vessel belongs to Russia's "shadow fleet", said Sami Rakshit, director of the Finnish Customs Service.
Russian sabotage?
The term "shadow fleet" Russia refers to foreign-flagged tankers that Russia uses to circumvent an oil embargo imposed two years ago over the war in Ukraine. The "shadow fleet" uses old and often uninsured tankers to export crude oil and petroleum products to circumvent international sanctions.
On Wednesday, the EstLink 2 undersea power cable between Finland and Estonia was disconnected from the grid, Finnish operator Fingrid said. A Fingrid representative told local media that the possibility of "sabotage" could not be ruled out. There were "clear grounds to believe that something strange had happened," said Finnish border guard spokesman Markku Hasinen. Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo told reporters that the incident was "very serious". "The authorities' decisive actions should send a clear signal: we will intervene," he warned.
Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsakna explained that given the accumulated damage to critical underwater infrastructure in the Baltic Sea "it is difficult to believe that these are accidents or simply maneuvering errors". Russian platform "The Insider" studies data from MarineTraffic, according to which the Eagle S reduced its speed by 25% a few minutes before crossing the cable, and then almost completely stopped for a few more minutes. After a series of maneuvers, the tanker gained speed and continued on its way, the publication writes, specifying that it was transporting oil to Egypt.
What is happening to the ship now?
"We have already boarded the ship, talked to the crew and collected evidence," said Robin Lardot of the Finnish National Bureau of Investigation. The tanker Eagle S is currently located off the coast of the Porkkala peninsula, about 30 km west of the Finnish capital Helsinki. Lardot previously said that the Eagle S is being investigated for "sabotage in a particularly serious case”.
The European Union also sees a connection with Russia, writes ZDF. "The suspicious ship is part of a shadowy Russian fleet that threatens security and the environment while financing the Russian military budget," said a joint statement by the European Commission and Foreign Affairs Commissioner Kaia Kalas.
Another such incident in the Baltic Sea
The incident occurred just over a month after two telecommunications cables were damaged in Swedish territorial waters in the Baltic Sea. According to ship tracking websites, the Chinese-flagged cargo ship "Yi Peng 3" was believed to have been in the area at the time of the incident.
Tensions in the Baltic Sea have increased significantly since the start of Russia's full-scale war of aggression in Ukraine in February 2022. In September 2022, a series of underwater explosions damaged the "Nord Stream" gas pipeline between Russia and Europe. The case is still unclear.