Finland detains Russian oil tanker linked to Baltic sea cable damage; NATO offers 'support'
According to Finnish customs and the European Union's executive commission, the tanker could belong to Russia’s so-called “shadow fleet” of oil tankers.
Finland on Thursday (Dec 27) detained a tanker carrying Russian oil as part of an investigation into damage to an undersea cable in the Baltic Sea. The cable, known as Estlink-2, supplies electricity between Finland and Estonia.
According to Finnish customs and the European Commission, the tanker could belong to Russia’s so-called “shadow fleet” of oil tankers, Associated Press news agency reported.
The detained vessel, Eagle S, is registered in the Cook Islands. The Finnish National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) said in a statement that the ship’s anchor may have caused the cable damage.
Robin Lardot, director of the NBI, said, “From our side, we are investigating grave sabotage. According to our understanding, an anchor of the vessel that is under investigation has caused the damage.”
The ship was reportedly travelling between St. Petersburg, Russia, and Port Said, Egypt, and was flying under the flag of the Cook Islands, according to MarineTraffic, a global ship tracking service.
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The damage to the Estlink-2 cable was first reported on Wednesday, which led Finnish authorities to launch a full-scale investigation. Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo posted about the incident on X (formerly Twitter), highlighting the broader threat posed by shadow fleets used by Russia.
"Our main task is to find effective means to stop the shadow fleet," he said, according to The New York Times.
"The shadow fleet pumps money into Russia's war fund so that Russia can continue to wage its war in Ukraine against the people of Ukraine, and it has to be stopped," he added.
A spokesperson for the US National Security Council called for stronger international cooperation to protect critical undersea infrastructure, highlighting the importance of coordinated efforts.
'Ready to provide further support': NATO
NATO Chief Mark Rutte also condemned the attack, saying, “NATO stands in solidarity with Allies and condemns any attacks on critical infrastructure. We are following investigations by Estonia and Finland, and we stand ready to provide further support.”
Also read: Zelensky says Ukraine’s NATO membership is ‘achievable’ but diplomats need to fight for it
The use of shadow fleets by Russia to evade Western sanctions has been a growing concern. Many of these vessels, often old and difficult to trace, are used to transport oil and other goods.
The Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air, a Finnish think tank, reported that over half of the 369 tankers exporting Russian crude oil and petroleum products in November belonged to these shadow fleets.
(With inputs from agencies)
