Finland detains oil tanker for investigation over damage to undersea cables in the Baltic

The Finnish Border Guard detained this Thursday and escorted to Finnish territorial waters an oil tanker that was in the area when an electrical link between Finland and Estonia was interrupted this Wednesday. The ship probably belongs to what has been called the “Russian shadow fleet” and was traveling from the Russian city of Saint Petersburg to Egypt, according to the British publication Lloyds List.

According to global ship tracking website MarineTraffic, the ship in question, the Eagle S, which flies the Cook Islands flag, noticeably slowed as it passed over the cable around the time the transmission was interrupted.

The Finnish Border Guard patrol vessel escorted the tanker to waters about 20 kilometers off Porkkalaniemi, a peninsula in the Gulf of Finland, on Wednesday afternoon.

According to the Finnish Border Guard, the anchors of the Eagle S ship were not in place, which has aroused suspicion among the authorities. Officials said that based on the preliminary investigation, there is reason to believe that the ship’s anchor caused the damage.

At a press conference on Thursday afternoon, Prime Minister Petteri Orpo said Finland will respond to any suspected interference against its underwater infrastructure. Authorities have also reported interruptions in a total of four telecommunications cables connecting Finland to the Baltic Sea.

The Estlink 2 electrical connection between Finland and Estonia was interrupted shortly after midday on Christmas Day. According to Arto Pahkin, director of Fingrid’s Main Grid Control Center, the damaged area is located on the Finnish side of the submarine cable between the two countries, so Fingrid is responsible for the repair. Pahkin estimated repairs could take up to seven months.

Estonian Prime Minister Kristen Michal said at a news conference in Tallinn that she will consult with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte on increasing NATO’s presence in the Baltic Sea, after the Interior Minister , Lauri Läänemets, described the damage to the submarine cables as “an attack, because it is an attack against our critical infrastructure.”