Finnish authorities are investigating whether a Russian vessel was involved in the sabotage of an electricity cable linking Finland and Estonia. The incident centers around the Eagle S, a tanker registered in the Cook Islands, which is suspected of damaging the Estlink 2 cable that became disconnected on Wednesday.
Officials believe that the ship’s anchor may have caused the damage to the cable, which is part of a growing concern regarding Russia’s “shadow fleet”—a network of vessels transporting embargoed Russian oil products. This incident adds to a troubling trend of damage to underwater cables in the Baltic region in recent years.
Fingrid, the operator of Finland’s national grid, confirmed that Estlink 2 remains out of service, but reassured that the damage “did not endanger the operation of the electricity system” in Finland. Repairs are anticipated to take “several months.”
Robin Lardot, director of Finland’s National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), remarked, “From our side, we are investigating grave sabotage.” Finnish police are treating the case as “aggravated criminal mischief.”
President Alexander Stubb highlighted the seriousness of the situation on social media, stating that he had received an “overview” of the incident from authorities and emphasizing the need to “avert the risks” posed by shadow fleet vessels.
The Estlink 2 cable, which has a transmission capacity of 650 megawatts and stretches 170 kilometers (105 miles) with 145 kilometers submerged, had its fault identified on Thursday in the underwater section.
In response to the incident, the European Union has threatened to implement further sanctions against Russia and is ramping up efforts to protect undersea cables. A joint statement from the European Commission and EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas condemned any intentional damage to critical European infrastructure.
Estonia’s Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna noted that damage to essential submarine infrastructure has become “so frequent” that it raises concerns about whether such incidents can still be classified as “accidental” or merely the result of poor seamanship. He emphasized the need to view these occurrences as systematic attacks against vital structures.
The foreign ministry also reported that the Eagle S has been escorted to a Finnish port. Tsahkna asserted, “In addition to circumventing sanctions, the shadow fleet poses a security threat in the Baltic Sea, and we cannot simply sit back and watch.”
This latest incident follows a series of disruptions, including a telecommunications cable severed between Finland and Germany in November, and an internet connection issue between Lithuania and Sweden’s Gotland Island around the same timeframe. German prosecutors are still investigating the 2022 explosion of the Nord Stream gas pipelines linking Russia and Germany, as well as significant damage to a natural gas pipeline between Finland and Estonia caused by a Chinese container ship dragging its anchor in October 2023.
Credit: BBC News
