Finnish Border Guard
Russian tanker Eagle S
Ship was identified as part of the “Russian shadow fleet”. He was traveling from St. Petersburg to Egypt and was escorted to Finnish waters.
The Finnish Border Guard today detained and escorted to territorial waters an oil tanker that was in the Baltic Sea, where an electrical cable connecting Finland and Estonia was cut, local press reported.
The ship was identified as a likely element of the call “Russian shadow fleet” and traveled from the Russian city of Saint Petersburg to Egyptsaid the British publication Lloyds List, specialized in maritime traffic, cited by the Spanish agency Efe.
According to the global ship tracking website MarineTrafficthe ship in question, Eagle S, which sails under the Cook Islands flag, slowed noticeably as it passed the cable at the time the connection was interrupted on Wednesday.
The Border Guard patrol ship escorted the tanker to territorial waters, about 20 kilometers from Porkkalaniemia peninsula in the Gulf of Finland.
According to the Finnish Border Guard, Eagle S ship’s anchors were not positionedwhich aroused suspicion among the authorities.
Authorities said that based on the preliminary investigation, there is reason to believe the ship’s anchor caused the damage.
The Finnish Prime Minister, Petteri Orposaid today at a press conference that his country will respond decisively to any suspicion of interference against its underwater infrastructure.
Authorities also identified damage to four telecommunications cables from Finland in the Baltic Sea.
On Christmas Day, the direct current link EstLink 2 between Finland and Estonia was disconnected from the network, announced the Finnish operator Fingrid, which did not rule out the possibility of sabotage and assured at the time that the Electricity supply had not been affected.
According to the director of the Fingrid Main Network Control Center, Arto Pahkin, the damaged area is located on the Finnish side of the submarine cable between the two countries, so the company is responsible for the repair. Pahkin estimated that the Repairs can take up to seven months.
The Prime Minister of Estonia, Christian Michalstated at a press conference in Tallinn that will consult the NATO Secretary GeneralMark Rutte, on the increased NATO presence in the Baltic Sea, after the Minister of the Interior, Lauri Läänemetshaving described the damage to the submarine cables as “an attack, because it is a attack against our critical infrastructures.”
Nonetheless, NATO has already declared, this Friday, that it will reinforce its military presence in the Baltic Sea.
“NATO will reinforce its military presence in the Baltic Sea”, he assured Mark Rutte already
The secretary general also stated that he spoke “with the Prime Minister of Estonia, Kristen Michal about the possible sabotage of cables in the Baltic Sea.
NATO stands in solidarity with its allies and condemns all attacks on critical infrastructure. We are following the investigations in Estonia and Finland and are ready to provide further support”, he assured, quoted by .
