Finnish forces seize Russian tanker amidst sabotage concerns
Finnish special forces have seized the Russian tanker Eagle S, which they suspect of damaging the Estlink-2 power cable connecting Finland and Estonia. Finnish authorities are considering the possibility of deliberate action but do not plan to inform Russia about the incident.
Finnish police and border guards boarded the Eagle S tanker on Thursday just after 7 PM Eastern Time, taking control of the bridge. According to Jari Liukku, the head of police in Helsinki, who spoke during a press conference, the ship was intercepted in Finland’s exclusive economic zone and brought into territorial waters.
Eagle S, registered in the Cook Islands, is suspected of belonging to Russia’s so-called “shadow fleet.” As reported by Finnish customs services and cited by the "Daily Mail," this fleet consists of outdated tankers with unclear ownership, used to circumvent sanctions by transporting Russian energy resources.
The anchor of the Eagle S tanker is suspected of causing the damage to the Estlink-2 cable, which transmits electricity across the Baltic Sea between Finland and Estonia. The failure occurred on December 25, just after 6 AM Eastern Time.
A representative of the Finnish transmission system operator Fingrid, Arto Pahkin, has not ruled out deliberate actions.
This is one of the scenarios we are considering, as two ships were present in the area where the cables are located. The possibility of sabotage cannot be ruled out - stated Pahkin.
The Director-General of Finnish Police, Ilkka Koskimaki, was asked whether he had contacted Russian authorities in light of the incident. He briefly replied, "No." When further questioned if he intends to do so, he responded, "We will not."
In response to the incident, Estonian armed forces have begun a maritime operation aimed at protecting the Estlink-1 subsea power cable. Estonia’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Margus Tsahkna, declared, "If there is a threat to critical underwater infrastructure in our region, there will also be a response."
Finland detains Russian tanker, tensions rise in the region
This is another recent disruption to key infrastructure in the region. In November, two data cables were damaged: one between Finland and Germany and the other between Lithuania and Sweden.
German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius stated at the time that “sabotage” should be assumed, though no evidence was provided nor potential perpetrators identified.
In September 2022, the Nord Stream underwater gas pipelines connecting Russia and Germany were destroyed by underwater explosions. The responsible party for this incident has not yet been determined.
