Sabotage of submarine cable Estlink-2: Oil tanker “Eagle S” under investigation

Investigation into Russian tanker accused of causing damage to electric cable between Finland and Estonia

Finnish police are investigating the tanker “Eagle S,” from Russia, in connection with the disruption of service of the submarine cable “Estlink-2,” which carries electricity from Finland to Estonia. The incident, which occurred as of noon yesterday, led to the opening of an investigation for aggravated sabotage.

The Ghost Fleet

The Cook Islands-flagged tanker was carrying unleaded gasoline loaded at a Russian port. Sami Rakshit, director general of Finnish Customs, explained that the ship would be part of the so-called ‘Ghost Fleet’ of ships operating to evade international sanctions.

Reaction of Finnish authorities

Finland’s President, Alexander Stubb, urged the elimination of “risks caused” by ‘Russian Ghost Fleet’ ships, which transport oil outside the sanctions regime. Finnish Premier Petteri Orpo said authorities have been monitoring the situation since yesterday. In Estonia, an extraordinary government meeting has been convened to discuss the incident.

Previous attacks on infrastructure

Last November, two other undersea cables in the Baltic Sea had been knocked out: one connected Finland to Germany and the other Lithuania to Sweden. In September 2022, the NordStream pipelines had been blown up. Estonian Premier Kristen Michal said the Estonian government is in close contact with colleagues in the northern Baltic.

NATO and European Union support.

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte expressed solidarity with the allies and condemned any attack on critical infrastructure. NATO is following up on the Estonia and Finland investigations and said it is ready to provide further support. The European Union, meanwhile, is anticipating a proposal for measures to counter the Ghost Fleet of Russian oil tankers, believed to be responsible for numerous attacks on critical infrastructure.

Security and prevention measures

In response to these incidents, the European Commission and the High Representative said they are stepping up efforts to protect submarine cables. New measures include enhanced information exchange, the use of new technologies to identify perpetrators, and increased international cooperation. At present, there are no risks to the security of electricity supplies in the region.

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