Finland displayed a large anchor that is believed to have been used by an oil tanker associated with Russia’s unofficial fleet to cut several important undersea cables in the Baltic Sea.
The anchor, presumed to belong to the Eagle S oil tanker, is being held by Finnish investigators after it was recovered from the Baltic Sea.
Currently, Finland is investigating the oil tanker Eagle S, which has ties to Russia, suspecting that its anchor caused damage to the Estlink-2 power cable on Christmas Day.
The Eagle S is believed to be part of Russia’s unacknowledged fleet, which consists of ships transporting Russian oil and petroleum products that are under sanctions due to Moscow’s incursion into Ukraine.
The vital cable takes electricity from Finland to Estonia across the Baltic Sea.
The incident cut the electricity connection on Estlink 2 between EU and NATO states Finland and Estonia on December 25 and sparked uproar in Europe, with NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte vowing to ‘enhance the military presence in the Baltic Sea.’
Finnish police said on December 29 that they had found a drag trail stretching dozens of miles along the seabed.
Investigators suspect that the cables were damaged after the tanker’s anchor was dragged over them.
The anchor (pictured), presumed to belong to the Eagle S oil tanker, is being held by Finnish investigators after it was recovered from the Baltic Sea
A photo taken on December 28, 2024 off Porkkalanniemi, Kirkkonummi, in the Gulf of Finland, shows oil tanker Eagle S (C), which flies under the flag of the Cook Islands, next to Finnish border guard ship Uisko (L) and tugboat Ukko (front R)
Sweden last week sent a submarine rescue vessel to assist Finland in the investigation and on Tuesday said that the anchor had been recovered.
‘The HMS Belos has located and lifted the anchor and handed it over to Finnish authorities,’ Swedish navy spokesman Jimmie Adamsson told AFP.
Finland seized the tanker on December 28 and has banned eight crew members from leaving Finnish territory.
Finnish telecom operator Elisa said Monday that two of the four damaged telecom cables had been repaired.
The Estlink 2 power cable has not yet been repaired.
Energy and communications infrastructure in particular have been targeted as part of what experts and politicians call Russia’s ‘hybrid war’ with Western countries.
The Baltic is surrounded by a number of NATO member states.
In a stunning show of force, NATO today sent a fleet of ten ships to the Baltic to protect Europe’s crucial undersea cables after a spate of sabotage attacks.
The anchor was allegedly used to cut a critically important cable on the bottom of the Baltic Sea
The anchor belonged to the Eagle S, a Russian-linked oil tanker believed to be part of the Kremlin’s Shadow Fleet
Finnish authorities said on December 26 that they were investigating a Russian oil tanker, named Eagle S, that sailed from a Russian port over suspected ‘sabotage’
The Estlink 2 power cable in the Gulf of Finland was ruptured in suspected Russian interference
Finnish authorities announced on January 8, 2025 that they had banned the oil tanker Eagle S, suspected of belonging to the Russian ‘ghost fleet’ and of having caused damage to five submarine cables, from sailing due to ‘serious faults’
Finnish Coast Guard vessel Uisko patrols near to oil tanker Eagle S (not in picture) anchored near the Kilpilahti port in Porvoo, on the Gulf of Finland on January 9, 2025
The ships are set to remain at sea until April and will be strategically positioned near energy and data cables in an effort to deter any attempts to destroy them.
It comes a week before Finland is set to host a summit of NATO countries bordering the Baltic Sea to discuss security in the region, as the alliance boosts its maritime presence following several subsea cable cuts.
The January 14 meeting in Helsinki will focus on ‘measures required to secure the critical underwater infrastructure’, a statement from the office of Finland’s President Alexander Stubb said.
‘The discussion will focus on strengthening of NATO’s presence in the Baltic Sea and responding to the threat posed by Russia’s shadow fleet.’
The ‘shadow fleet’ consists of ships that carry Russian crude oil and petroleum products embargoed over Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine.
The often ageing vessels operate under dubious ownership or without proper insurance.
Among those due to attend the meeting are NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, the leaders of Denmark, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland and Sweden, and the executive vice-president of the European Commission Henna Virkkunen.
Finland’s President Alexander Stubb and Estonian Prime Minister Kristen Michal will co-host the meeting.
Finland became a NATO member in 2023, dropping decades of military non-alignment after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
