Finnish authorities have detained an oil tanker suspected of damaging multiple undersea cables in the Gulf of Finland, marking the latest incident involving critical submarine infrastructure in the Baltic Sea.
The vessel, Eagle S, registered in the Cook Islands, was intercepted and boarded by Finnish officials on Thursday while en route from St. Petersburg, Russia to Port Said, Egypt. Officials believe the ship may be part of Russia's "shadow fleet" - vessels used to evade Western sanctions on Russian oil exports.
According to Finnish police, the ship is being investigated for "aggravated vandalism" after five submarine cables were damaged on December 25th. The damaged infrastructure includes the Estlink 2 power cable connecting Finland and Estonia, three data cables between the two countries, and the C-Lion1 internet cable linking Finland and Germany.
Robin Lardot, director of the Finnish National Bureau of Investigation, stated that preliminary findings suggest an anchor from the detained vessel caused the damage. The incident occurred when the Eagle S crossed the cable routes, as confirmed by vessel tracking data.
The power cable disruption reduced electricity transmission between Finland and Estonia, though Finnish officials assured that domestic power supply remains stable. Repairs could take several months to complete.
This event adds to growing concerns about the security of undersea infrastructure in the Baltic Sea region. Previous incidents include damage to the Nord Stream pipelines in 2022 and cable disruptions between Sweden and Estonia in October 2023.
The Baltic Sea holds strategic importance as it is largely surrounded by NATO member states, with Russia maintaining a military presence through its Kaliningrad exclave. NATO has recently increased focus on protecting submarine infrastructure, which carries approximately 99% of global data traffic.
Finnish authorities continue their investigation as the Eagle S remains detained in Finnish waters near Helsinki. The case highlights ongoing tensions in the region and renewed attention to protecting critical underwater communications and power networks.