Finnish authorities have detained the cargo ship Eagle S, suspected of causing damage to the EstLink 2 submarine power cable, which connects Finland and Estonia. The incident disrupted electricity transmission between the two countries on Wednesday.
The EstLink 2 cable outage occurred at 12:26 p.m. local time, with Finnish transmission operator Fingrid confirming that Finland’s power supply remained stable. Estonian operator Elering also reported sufficient spare capacity to meet electricity demands.
Finnish police and border guards boarded the Eagle S and detained the vessel in Finnish territorial waters.
The Finnish National Bureau of Investigation announced at a press conference that the damage to the EstLink 2 submarine cable was likely caused by the anchor of the Russian shadow fleet’s oil tanker Eagle S, according to preliminary assessments. The anchor was not found when the… https://t.co/7qnjxsSyY3 pic.twitter.com/5LxjwNV1Si
— Special Kherson Cat 🐈🇺🇦 (@bayraktar_1love) December 26, 2024
The cargo ship, flagged under the Cook Islands, is linked to Russia’s “shadow fleet” of aging oil tankers used to circumvent Western sanctions. These vessels often operate with obscure ownership and without Western-regulated insurance.
At the time of the incident, the ship was carrying approximately 35,000 tons of unleaded gasoline. Finnish authorities noted that the Eagle S had previously sailed under Turkish and Indian flags.
The incident has prompted a strong response from regional and international actors. Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo and Estonian Prime Minister Kristen Michal have emphasized the need to strengthen the monitoring and protection of critical infrastructure, both on land and at sea.
Estonia held an emergency government meeting, with leaders pointing to repeated damage to undersea infrastructure as evidence of a systemic threat. Estonian President Alar Karis stated that the incident underscores the need for closer cooperation among NATO allies to counter hybrid threats in the Baltic region.
European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas praised Finnish authorities for their swift action and described the shadow fleet as a significant threat to regional security and environmental safety. She indicated that the EU would consider additional sanctions targeting these vessels.
The Baltic Sea has witnessed several similar incidents over the past year. In November, data cables linking Finland to Germany and Lithuania to Sweden were severed, with German authorities labeling these as likely acts of sabotage.
