Finland investigates Russian Shadow Fleet oil tanker after cable cut incident
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Finnish authorities are investigating whether an oil tanker belonging to Russia’s shadow fleet cut the cable between Finland and Estonia.
The Eagle S was intercepted by Finnish authorities on Wednesday after the Estlink 2 undersea cable was severed in the Gulf of Finland. The Cook Islands-registered tanker was transporting oil from Russia to Egypt when it was seen passing the cable, according to ship tracking data.
People familiar with the matter said the aging tanker is part of Russia’s shadow fleet and is the focus of Finland’s investigation. The Eagle S is also under investigation for whether it cut three communications cables in the Gulf of Finland, the people added.
The Shadow Fleet is a group of old and poorly maintained ships that Russia uses to circumvent international sanctions on its oil exports.
The Christmas Day incident appeared to be the latest in a series of attacks on pipelines and cables in the Baltic Sea by foreign vessels, raising fears of a deliberate attack on critical infrastructure between NATO countries.
“We must be able to protect against the risks posed by ships from Russia’s shadow fleet,” Finnish President Alexander Stubb posted on X on Thursday after meeting with security chiefs.
Last year, a Chinese container ship, the Xinxin Polar Bear, severed a natural gas pipeline between Finland and Estonia, but was not stopped by authorities because it was in international waters.
Last month, a Chinese bulk carrier “Yipeng 3” passed on two data cables between Finland and Germany, and Sweden and Lithuania, and the data cables were cut on about two occasions. It spent a month in international waters between Denmark and Sweden.
Chinese investigators finally boarded the ship last week, with representatives from Sweden, Denmark, Germany and Finland present as observers. But Sweden’s foreign minister criticized Beijing for not allowing Sweden’s chief investigator to board or inspect the ship, which has now left the area.
The Eagle S case is different in that the ship voluntarily stayed in Finnish waters and there were no jurisdictional issues, according to people familiar with the matter. The Eagle S’s ownership is unknown, but it appears to be the only vessel owned by the Dubai-based company. Attempts to contact the owner Thursday were unsuccessful.
Authorities have not determined the cause of the Estlink 2 cable disconnection. Estonia also said it would not affect its electricity supply. The cable is used to export electricity from Finland, which recently commissioned its newest nuclear power plant, to Estonia.
Finnish Prime Minister Petri Orpo said the country’s electricity supply would not be affected.
Finnish authorities are open to the latest incident, especially since dozens of poorly maintained ships ply the Baltic Sea in a shadow fleet.
Environmentalists have repeatedly warned of the dangers these dilapidated vessels pose to the region and elsewhere.
In the Mediterranean, a Russian cargo ship under U.S. sanctions for cooperating with the Russian military sank on Tuesday between Spain and Algeria.
