Recent findings by Finnish investigators have strengthened suspicions of Russian involvement in damaging critical undersea infrastructure in the Baltic Sea. Officials discovered an anchor drag mark stretching up to 100 kilometers on the seabed, linked to a vessel from Russia's "shadow fleet".
The investigation centers on damage to the Estlink-2 power cable connecting Finland and Estonia, which failed on December 25th. While the power disruption had minimal impact, it followed concerning incidents involving two data cables and the Nord Stream gas pipelines.
Finnish police chief investigator Sami Paila confirmed the anchor trail appears to match the seized vessel Eagle S, which is now under criminal investigation. The charges include aggravated interference with telecommunications and vandalism.
The Eagle S, though registered in the Cook Islands, belongs to Russia's shadow fleet - a collection of aging fuel tankers operating with obscure ownership structures to bypass Western sanctions imposed after Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
NATO has responded by increasing patrols in the Baltic region. EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas noted these incidents reflect "a pattern of deliberate and coordinated actions to damage our digital and energy infrastructure" since Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
Adding to regional tensions, another tanker headed for Russia recently experienced engine failure in the Gulf of Finland. Finnish authorities deployed emergency resources to prevent potential infrastructure damage or environmental harm.
The EU has announced plans to strengthen measures against Russia's shadow fleet operations, as evidence mounts of coordinated attempts to compromise European digital and energy networks.
The developments highlight growing security concerns in the Baltic region, particularly for Finland - which abandoned its longstanding neutrality to join NATO in 2023 amid escalating Russian aggression.