The crew of an oil tanker suspected of sabotaging underwater cables in the Baltic Sea was preparing to damage more cables and pipelines before the vessel was detained.

Source: Risto Lohi, head of Finland's investigation into the incident, as reported by Reuters

Details: On 26 December 2024, Finnish authorities detained the oil tanker Eagle S, which was transporting Russian oil. The vessel is suspected of damaging the Estlink 2 power line between Finland and Estonia and four telecommunications cables by dragging its anchor along the seabed for over 100 km.

Lohi, representing Finland’s National Bureau of Investigation, stated that the tanker posed an imminent threat to other critical underwater infrastructure, including the Estlink 1 power cable and the BalticConnector gas pipeline between Finland and Estonia, at the time of its detention.

Quote: "There would have been an almost immediate danger that other cables or pipes related to our critical underwater infrastructure could have been damaged." 

More details: Additionally, Lohi reported that a ninth crew member has been added to the list of suspects and barred from leaving the country. Earlier this month, Finland imposed travel bans on eight of the tanker’s 24 crew members. The ship's captain is a Georgian citizen, while the crew includes individuals from India and Georgia.

Finnish authorities are also investigating another incident involving the Chinese cargo ship Yi Peng 3, suspected of damaging two underwater fibre-optic cables in November by dragging its anchor along the seabed.

Background: 

• Finnish authorities are investigating whether the Russian shadow fleet tanker Eagle S severed the power cable connecting Finland and Estonia.
• Finland has received court approval to detain the shadow fleet tanker that damaged an energy cable and four communication cables in the Baltic Sea last week.
• Finnish officials have declared that the Russian shadow fleet tanker Eagle S, which damaged underwater cables in the Baltic Sea, is unseaworthy.

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