Finland probes Russian shadow fleet oil tanker after cable-cutting incident

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Finnish authorities are investigating an oil tanker that is part of Russia’s shadow fleet over whether it cut a power cable between Finland and Estonia.

Finnish authorities shut down the Eagle S after the Eastlink 2 subsea power cable was severed in the Gulf of Finland on Wednesday. The Cook Islands-registered tanker, carrying oil from Russia to Egypt, was seen passing over the wire at the time of the incident, according to vessel tracking data.

The aging tanker is part of Russia’s shadow fleet and is the focus of Finland’s investigation, according to people familiar with the investigation. An investigation is also underway into whether the Eagle S cut three communication cables in the Gulf of Finland, the people added.

D shadow fleet A group of old and often poorly maintained vessels used by Russia to evade international sanctions on its oil exports.

The Christmas Day incident appears to be the latest in a series of pipelines and cables being targeted by foreign vessels in the Baltic Sea, raising fears of deliberate attacks on critical infrastructure. nato the country

“We must be able to prevent the risk of ships belonging to the Russian shadow fleet,” Finnish President Alexander Stubb said in a post on X after a meeting with security chiefs on Thursday.

Last year a Chinese container ship, the New New Polar Bear, Cut a gas pipeline between Finland and Estonia but authorities did not stop him as it was in international waters.

A Chinese bulk carrier, the Yi Peng 3, last month moved two data cables between Finland and Germany and Sweden and Lithuania with their separation times. It stops for a month in international waters between Denmark and Sweden.

Chinese investigators finally boarded the ship last week, with Swedish, Danish, German and Finnish representatives present as observers. But Sweden’s foreign minister criticized Beijing for refusing to allow the chief Swedish investigator. Inspection of board or shipwhich has now left the region.

The Eagle S case is different because the ship voluntarily stopped inside Finnish waters, leaving no question of jurisdiction, according to people familiar with the investigation. Ownership of the Eagle S is unclear but it appears to be the only vessel owned by the Dubai Company. Attempts to reach the owner on Thursday were unsuccessful.

Authorities have not determined the cause of the disconnection of the Estlink 2 cable. Estonia also said it would not affect its electricity supply. It is used to export electricity from it Finlandwhich recently brought online its latest nuclear power plant, in Estonia.

Finland’s Prime Minister Petteri Orpo said the country’s electricity supply would not be affected.

Finnish authorities are keeping an open mind about the latest incident, as dozens of poorly maintained vessels ply the Baltic Sea in a shadow fleet.

Environmental campaigners have repeatedly warned of the dangers of dilapidated ships in the region and elsewhere.

In the Mediterranean, a Russian cargo ship sank between Spain and Algeria on Tuesday under US sanctions for working with Russia’s military.