Russian shadow fleet under scrutiny for cable sabotage in Baltic

Approximately 35,000 tonnes of unleaded petrol were seized, which the freighter Eagle S, sailing under the flag of the Cook Islands, loaded in Russian ports near St. Petersburg. At the moment when the energy transmission through the EstLink 2 pipeline was broken, the ship was heading towards Egypt.

According to the customs service, the vessel had not previously navigated the Gulf of Finland but mainly moved between Turkey and India, which from the perspective of sanctions compliance is "significant information." It is assumed that the 220-metre-long tanker is part of the so-called Russian shadow fleet, i.e., old ships not covered by insurance issued by a Western company.

The crew of the tanker, consisting of about 20 people, is mainly from Georgia and India, who are being questioned by the police. The ship detained by Finnish services is currently in the waters of the bay, about 14 kilometres from the Porkkala peninsula west of Helsinki. It is suspected that the ship's anchor may have damaged the cable.

Russian "shadow tankers," not covered by Western insurance, play a significant role in bypassing sanctions imposed by the G7 countries. They transport Russian oil to recipients in other countries willing to pay more than the imposed maximum price of $60 per barrel, which provides significant support for Russia's war efforts in Ukraine.

Finnish police reported on Thursday that they have reasons to suspect that the tanker Eagle S is connected to the damage of the EstLink 2 submarine power cable. Prime Minister Petteri Orpo stated that the damage to the EstLink 2 power line is "a result of [Russian leader Vladimir] Putin and Russia's war of aggression in Ukraine and its financing with the shadow fleet." However, it is too early to directly accuse Russia, but the shadow fleet sails on its behalf, he admitted, answering journalists' questions.

According to the head of the Finnish government, the Russian shadow fleet tankers are a threat to all the countries around the Baltic and the EU; therefore, additional measures are needed to stop them. - Tankers are pumping money into Russia's treasury and its war fund, he stated, emphasising that currently, nearly 80 ships are listed on the EU's list of shadow fleet vessels subject to sanctions, but there could be over 400 similar units. The tanker Eagle S detained by Finnish services has not yet been blacklisted.

Eagle S was escorted by a border guard patrol boat, and officers boarded the vessel on Thursday after midnight – reported Markku Hassinen, deputy commander of the guard, at a press conference in Helsinki. He emphasised that suspicions were related to the fact that the anchors of the ship were not in their place. The Central Criminal Police (KRP) classified the case as "an act of destruction (sabotage)."

The cable damage is likely connected to an "external force" – said Robin Lardot, head of the KRP. It is initially suspected that the ship's anchor caused the damage. Investigators are trying to determine if it was intentional.

Police Chief Ilkka Koskimaki assessed that the current starting point for further investigation can be described as "particularly good" because the ship was detained in Finnish waters and is under the control of the services. A flight restriction was also established in the area within a radius of about 3 kilometres.

The Finnish operator Fingrid reported on Wednesday that the EstLink 2 connection and the energy transmission break between Finland and Estonia are likely to last up to seven months.

The EstLink 2 electrical connection, maintained by Finland's Fingrid and Estonia's Elering, is approximately 170 kilometres long, with about 145 kilometres running along the seabed of the Gulf of Finland between Estonia's Püssi and Finland's Porvoo. The cable was commissioned in 2014. It serves as an important transmission connection between Finland and the Baltic countries with a capacity of over 650 MW. The currently operating EstLink 1 cable has a capacity of 350 MW.