Finland stops Russia-linked vessel over 'sabotaged' undersea power cable in Baltic Sea
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Finnish authorities have seized a ship carrying Russian oil in the Baltic Sea on suspicion it broke undersea power and internet cables connecting Finland and Estonia. The Cook Islands-registered ship, named by officials as the Eagle S, was boarded by a Finnish coast guard crew that took command and sailed the vessel to Finnish waters, a coast guard official said at a press conference.
“From our side we are investigating grave sabotage," said Robin Lardot, director of the Finnish National Bureau of Investigation. “According to our understanding, an anchor of the vessel that is under investigation has caused the damage," he added.
The Finnish customs service said it had seized the vessel's cargo and that the Eagle S was believed to belong to Russia's so-called shadow fleet of ageing tankers that seek to evade sanctions on the sale of Russian oil. Two fibre-optic cables owned by Finnish operator Elisa linking Finland and Estonia were broken, while a third link between the two countries owned by China's Citic was damaged, Finnish transport and communications agency Traficom said.
A fourth internet cable running between Finland and Germany and belonging to Finnish group Cinia was also believed to have been severed, the agency said. "We are coordinating closely with our allies and stand ready to support their investigations," said a spokesperson for the US National Security Council.
