Finland Seizes Russian Tanker in Cable Crisis
Finland Seizes Russian Tanker Suspected of Cutting Undersea Cables
By Foreign News Service
On Christmas Day, Finland took a dramatic step by seizing a tanker carrying Russian oil on suspicion of cutting undersea power and data cables. The cables connecting Finland and Estonia stopped functioning shortly after the passage of the tanker named Eagle S, which Finnish authorities believe was part of Russia’s efforts to evade sanctions.
According to ship tracking site Marine Traffic, the Eagle S slowed down near the Estlink 2 power cable and lingered over it before continuing its journey. Finnish officials reported that four data cables were disrupted simultaneously, with three connecting Finland and Estonia, and one connecting Finland and Germany. This incident comes after a similar cut to the C-Lion1 cable last month, which was suspected to be caused by a Chinese cargo ship.
Following the incident, Finnish border guards and police boarded the Cook Islands-registered tanker and detained all crew members on board. The ship is believed to be missing at least one anchor, which authorities say could have been the cause of the cable cut.
Finnish prosecutors have initiated an investigation into possible charges of gross sabotage, while the Finnish army is assisting in surveying the seabed around the damaged cables. Emergency meetings between the governments of Finland and Estonia have been held to address the incident.
Prime Minister Petteri Orpo expressed his concerns about the Kremlin’s “stay-behind fleet” and discussed the issue with NATO leaders. He emphasized the need for stronger actions against these ships, which he believes are supporting Russia’s military activities.
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte has pledged support to Estonia and Finland in protecting critical infrastructure, while the EU considers imposing new sanctions on the shadow fleet.
The Finnish government and telecom operators have managed to minimize the impact of the cable outages by reverting to backup cables. However, repairs to the damaged power cable could take months, posing a risk to the country’s power supply in adverse weather conditions.
These incidents of undersea cable damage highlight the growing tensions between NATO countries and Russia in the Baltic region. The Wall Street Journal noted that such disruptions have become more frequent since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and strained relations with Europe and the US.
