Russian shadow tanker seized in Estonia cable sabotage probe

Approximately 35,000 tons of unleaded gasoline were seized from the freighter Eagle S, which sails under the flag of the Cook Islands and had loaded the fuel in Russian ports near St. Petersburg. At the time when the energy transmission through the EstLink 2 pipeline was disrupted, the ship was en route to Egypt.

According to the customs service, the vessel had not previously navigated the Gulf of Finland but primarily operated between Turkey and India. This is "significant information" from the perspective of sanctions compliance. The 720-foot-long tanker is assumed to be part of the so-called Russian shadow fleet, which consists of old ships not insured by a Western company.

The crew of the tanker, consisting of about 20 people primarily from Georgia and India, is being questioned by the police. The ship, detained by Finnish authorities, is currently in the bay waters about 9 miles from the Porkkala peninsula west of Helsinki. It is suspected that the ship's anchor may have damaged the cable.

Russian "shadow tankers," not covered by Western insurance, play a substantial role in circumventing sanctions imposed by the G7 countries. They transport Russian oil to countries willing to pay more than the imposed maximum price of $60 per barrel, providing significant support for Russia's war efforts in Ukraine.

Finnish police reported on Thursday that they have reason to suspect that the tanker Eagle S is connected to the damage of the EstLink 2 submarine power cable. Prime Minister Petteri Orpo stated that the damage to the EstLink 2 power line is "a result of [Russian leader Vladimir] Putin and Russia's war of aggression in Ukraine and its financing with the shadow fleet." However, it is too early to directly accuse Russia, though "the shadow fleet sails on its behalf," he admitted in response to journalists' questions.

According to the Finnish government head, the Russian shadow fleet tankers are "a threat to all countries around the Baltic and the EU, thus additional measures are needed to stop them." He stated that tankers are channeling funds into Russia's treasury and its war fund, emphasizing that nearly 80 ships are on the EU's list of shadow fleet vessels subject to sanctions, but there could be over 400 similar units. The tanker Eagle S detained by Finnish authorities has not yet been blacklisted.

Eagle S was escorted by a border guard patrol boat, and officers boarded the vessel early Thursday morning, reported Markku Hassinen, deputy commander of the guard, at a press conference in Helsinki. He emphasized that suspicions were related to the fact that the ship's anchors were not in their proper place. The Central Criminal Police (KRP) classified the case as "an act of destruction (sabotage)."

The cable damage is likely attributable to an "external force," said Robin Lardot, head of the KRP. It is initially suspected that the ship's anchor caused the damage. Investigators are trying to determine if it was intentional.

Police Chief Ilkka Koskimaki assessed that the current starting point for further investigation is "particularly good" because the ship was detained in Finnish waters and is under the control of the authorities. A flight restriction was also established in the area within a radius of about 2 miles.

The Finnish operator Fingrid reported on Wednesday that the EstLink 2 connection and the energy transmission break between Finland and Estonia might last up to seven months.

The EstLink 2 electrical connection, maintained by Finland's Fingrid and Estonia's Elering, is approximately 106 miles long, with about 90 miles running along the seabed of the Gulf of Finland between Estonia's Pussi and Finland's Porvoo. The cable was commissioned in 2014. It serves as an important transmission connection between Finland and the Baltic countries with a capacity of over 650 MW. The currently operating EstLink 1 cable has a capacity of 350 MW.