Finland stops boarding a ship suspected of causing accident Estlink 2 submarine power line damaged and three other internet lines on Christmas Day. The Cook Islands-registered tanker, Eagle S, is owned by United Arab Emirates-based Caravella LLCFZ and is apparently the only vessel owned by the company. When arriving at the station, financial times The ship was allegedly transporting oil from Russia to Egypt, and public records show it was on a damaged cable during the blackout.
Sources say the Eagle S is part of Russia’s shadow fleet, which consists of old and dilapidated oil tankers. The vessels are registered and owned by companies in other countries, and Russia uses them to circumvent international sanctions on its oil exports. As a result of this recent incident, Finnish President Alexander Stubb posted on X (formerly Twitter) yesterday that “we must be able to prevent the risks posed by ships belonging to Russia’s shadow fleet.”
Undersea infrastructure in the Baltic Sea has suffered a series of disruptions and disruptions over the past few years since Russia invaded Ukraine. this The last major incident before the latest developments occurred in mid-NovemberAt that time, the Chinese bulk carrier “Yipeng 3” sailed from Ust-Luga, Russia to Egypt, on a route similar to that of the Eagle S. Suspected of deliberately dragging anchor On November 16, the ship crossed the sea floor and damaged an undersea internet cable connecting Sweden and Lithuania.
Estonia’s Foreign Minister Mags Chakna said the incidents had become so frequent that it was unlikely they were all caused by accidents or operator error. “We must understand that damage to submarine infrastructure becomes more systematic and therefore must be viewed as an attack on our vital structures,” he said.
Finnish authorities are currently investigating the matter. They boarded the ship in the Baltic Sea and sailed it toward its territorial waters. They discovered that the ship’s anchor was missing, and that the crew may have used it to damage undersea infrastructure. “From our side, we are investigating serious acts of vandalism,” said Robin Lardot, director of Finland’s National Investigation Agency. He added: “It is our understanding that damage was caused to one of the anchors of the vessel under investigation.
This is not the first time that internet connections between Finland and Estonia have been affected by disruptions. Just last year, the Baltic Connector gas pipeline connecting the two countries was damaged, as were several other internet and data cables, with evidence of damage caused by an anchor dragging a suspected Chinese cargo ship, the Xin Xin Polar Bear.
As a result of these events, NATO plans Deploying maritime drones to monitor and protect its underwater infrastructure. On top of this, 12 countries around the Baltic and North Seas, all NATO members, are taking action to “disrupt and deter” Russia’s shadow fleet, help enforce international sanctions and block the flow of funds to Moscow to fund its invasion of Ukraine. “We are also in touch with other allies and partners to coordinate international cooperation,” Chakna said. “In addition to evading sanctions, the Shadow Fleet is also a Safety We cannot remain idly by with regard to the threat in the Baltic Sea.