A Finnish military unit took control of an oil tanker on Thursday, suspecting it to be responsible for the recent disruption of the Estlink-2 power line connecting Finland and Estonia. The vessel in question is the Eagle S, which is registered in the Cook Islands and was on its way from St. Petersburg to Port Said, Egypt. It is believed to be part of Russia’s illicit fleet involved in smuggling Russian crude oil.
Submarine telecom and power cables are a vital part of Northern Europe’s energy and information grid.
The issue with cable defense is that they are EVERYWHERE!
Not only that, but they are marked on every navigation chart so that ships don’t accidently hit them.
Unfortunately, this makes them very well marked targets. pic.twitter.com/LNCFLAgIbV
— Sal Mercogliano (WGOW Shipping) 🚢⚓🐪🚒🏴☠️ (@mercoglianos) December 26, 2024
Incidents like this have occurred before, where deliberate actions have damaged power or telecom cables across the Baltic Sea. In previous instances, a Chinese container ship caused harm to gas pipelines and telecom cables between Finland and Estonia, and in another incident, damaged cables linking Germany, Finland, Lithuania, and the Swedish island of Gotland. These incidents have raised concerns, particularly the involvement of Chinese vessels and the need for international cooperation.
Eagle S became a prime suspect when AIS data was examined shortly after Estlink-2 was disabled.
EAGLE S made moves like this on top of the Estlink 2 cable..
There are no sensible explanations for these moves, no wonder why it’s currently under investigation as main suspect for sabotage.
Finnish Border Guard is keeping the ship on Finnish territorial waters. pic.twitter.com/3ibl7IRcs0
— Tomi 🇺🇦🇫🇮 (@TallbarFIN) December 26, 2024
The movements of the Eagle S coincide with the timing and locations of the damage to the Estlink-2 cables. Authorities from Sweden, Finland, Germany, and Denmark have faced challenges in investigating these incidents and engaging with the vessels involved. Cooperation and agreements between countries are crucial to address these disruptions and safeguard vital infrastructures in the region, especially considering the geopolitical implications and growing influence of certain nations.
— Kamsarmax (@cashsarmax) December 25, 2024
In addition to the AIS data showing Eagle S making very curious maneuvers over Estlink-2 and the absence of one of its anchors, the documentary evidence has the profile of an oil smuggler.
The Cook-Island crude oil tanker #EagleS has been boarded by Finnish authorities due to its suspected involvement in cutting cables between Finland and Estonia.
The ship is part of the Dark Fleet hauling Russian oil outside the normal transportation network.
Over the last… pic.twitter.com/pMfrmjgxiM
— Sal Mercogliano (WGOW Shipping) 🚢⚓🐪🚒🏴☠️ (@mercoglianos) December 26, 2024
The tanker #EagleS has done several actions to classify it in the Dark Fleet.
1️⃣ It shifted classification from the American Bureau of Shipping to the Indian Register of Shipping
2️⃣ It is no longer listed as insured by the UK P&I Club, which is one of the dozen clubs that… pic.twitter.com/TpGMgBf8fc
— Sal Mercogliano (WGOW Shipping) 🚢⚓🐪🚒🏴☠️ (@mercoglianos) December 26, 2024
Unlike the timid approach used on Chinese vessels, the Eagle S was quickly boarded, and Finnish police began questioning the crew.
Exclusive footage of Finnish SOF boarding the “Eagle S” which is suspected of damaging the power transfer cable “Estlink 2” pic.twitter.com/FWvF2FjFlB
— FinnGear (@FinnishGear) December 26, 2024
The Finns have also announced their findings.
Finnish police have published photographs of the tanker “Eagle S” from the “shadow fleet of Russia”, which is suspected of being involved in damaging underwater communications in the Baltic Sea.
The Finnish customs service said it had seized the vessel’s cargo.
Repairing the… pic.twitter.com/HVgX3kUkbD
— Special Kherson Cat 🐈🇺🇦 (@bayraktar_1love) December 26, 2024
Have no doubt how seriously Finland is taking this incident: Here’s the assembly of law-enforcement authorities holding a press conference on a national holiday. 1/ pic.twitter.com/4qwUhtMJMg
— Teri Schultz (@terischultz) December 26, 2024
The obvious collaboration of Russian-controlled and Chinese-registered vessels to damage the telecom and power grid running beneath the Baltic Sea threatens NATO and the EU. NATO must take this hybrid war being waged underwater seriously and develop equally serious strategies for combatting it. What can’t be tolerated is China stepping in to block investigations and legal actions by affected countries.
