Finnish resolve sharpens against Russian shadow fleet actions
Finnish Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen has announced that Finland and the EU are exploring legal avenues to limit the activities of the Russian shadow fleet, which is circumventing sanctions. Maritime law experts have proposed several measures.
Regardless of whether the recent damage to the submarine cables by the tanker Eagle S was intentional or accidental, decisive action is required, declared Finnish Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen on the Yle television programme.
The Minister referred to the interception at sea by the border guard, police, and armed forces units of the tanker Eagle S, redirecting it towards the Finnish coast. The ship, sailing under the Cook Islands flag, was on a voyage from St. Petersburg to Egypt on December 25th, carrying a cargo of Russian gasoline. Investigators suspect that the ship dragged its anchor along the seabed for about 60 miles, causing damage to the Estonian-Finnish EstLink 2 power cable and several telecommunications cables.
"Has been heard"
The way Finnish authorities responded "has been heard," assured Valtonen.
Experts suggest that the shadow fleet's activities could be curtailed by redefining the maritime boundary between Estonia and Finland to eliminate the area of international waters. There is also consideration of closing the Baltic Sea to ships under certain flags or those in poor technical condition.
At the same time, it is emphasised that these solutions are controversial and difficult to implement both politically and legally, particularly if they involve potential changes to international maritime agreements.
