Finland boarded a Baltic sabotage ship

Russia may be using the seized tanker as part of a “shadow fleet” of ageing tankers to avoid sanctions.

The Finnish power grid Fingrid reported that a power cable connecting the Finnish and Estonian systems under the Baltic Sea failed on Christmas Day. After that, a press release revealed the fault was in an underwater cable. Then everyone watched a suspect. The Eagle S is a ship, and what the Finnish authorities found inside is undisputed.

The cable and marks. According to the Finnish authorities, drag marks spanning tens of kilometres on the Baltic Sea bottom are linked to an anchor and damage to the Estlink 2 power cable and four telecommunications cables between Finland and Estonia.

These marks identified the Cook Islands-registered Eagle S tanker involved in Russian oil sanctions evasion. Beyond that. More importantly, recent photos of the vessel show that its port-side anchor is missing, supporting the idea that it was dragged along the seabed.

A spyship. Finnish authorities said the ship had advanced transmitting and receiving devices to monitor NATO naval activities. This unusual technology for a merchant ship consumed a lot of power, causing repeated blackouts, which caught maritime security experts’ attention.

The seized vessel may be part of Russia’s “shadow fleet,” a collection of ageing tankers used to avoid sanctions. Despite restrictions, these vessels are key to Russia’s oil trade.

Operation mode. The Eagle S was a Russian spy vessel thanks to portable suitcases and electronic devices with Russian and Turkish settings. The devices recorded radio frequencies and were downloaded for analysis in Russia to identify NATO ships and aircraft.

The Eagle S also dropped sensor-like devices into the English Channel during its transit, raising questions about its activities.

The value of Estlink 2. After Estlink 2, with 658 MW of capacity, shut down, Finland and Estonia relied on Estlink 1, with 358 MW. Power operators estimate Estlink 2 won’t be operational until August 2025, straining the region’s energy infrastructure.

The incident highlights the growing vulnerability of critical connections in the Baltic, already scarred by gas pipeline and undersea cable sabotage.

Geopolitics. All of these reasons make sabotage another event. Germany reported damage to two Baltic submarine communication cables in November, and the Nord Stream gas pipeline explosions in 2022 highlighted the region’s critical infrastructure’s vulnerability. All activities coincide with the rise in Russia-Western tensions after the invasion of Ukraine, which led NATO to increase its Baltic Sea presence.

Finland and Estonia requested Alliance support to protect Estlink 1, resulting in the Estonian Navy’s deployment of the patrol boat Raju and cooperation with Finnish and NATO forces. Meanwhile, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte announced an increase in presence in the region without specifying measures, and the Supreme Allied Command in Europe (SACEUR) is considering a serious response that could include US resources, emphasising the Baltic’s strategic importance in European energy security.

Finland boarded a Baltic sabotage ship

By nr39r

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