Russian Tanker Detained For Dragging Anchor & Damaging Power Cable Connecting Finland & Estonia

Tanker at anchor — Image for representation purposes only

Finnish investigators have found drag marks stretching for dozens of kilometres along the Baltic Sea floor, which led to the detention of the tanker Eagle S.

Authorities believe the marks were caused by the vessel’s anchor, which severed a major power cable and disrupted four telecom cables connecting Finland and Estonia.

The incident damaged the 658 MW Estlink 2 power cable on December 25, leaving Finland and Estonia to rely on the smaller 358 MW Estlink 1 cable.

Grid operators have said that repairs to Estlink 2 may not be completed until August.

Finnish police and coast guard officials boarded the tanker last Thursday, and it was moved to an anchorage near Kilpilahti for further investigation.

They suspect the anchor detached while dragging along the seabed, causing major damage to the subsea infrastructure.

Photos taken of the Eagle S registered under the Cook Islands flag, revealed its port-side anchor was missing.

EAGLE S today. One of the anchors is missing.

Finnish authorities have questioned the crew of the tanker.

Ship has more than 20 crew members. Crew members are citizens of Georgia and India.

Nationality of officers and captain has not yet been revealed to public. pic.twitter.com/MEag75UlU9

— Tomi 🇺🇦🇫🇮🏴‍☠️ (@TallbarFIN) December 27, 2024

Sami Paila, detective chief inspector of Finland’s National Bureau of Investigation, said investigators have traced the dragging track from start to finish but have yet to locate the missing anchor.

Poor weather conditions have slowed progress both underwater and onboard the ship.

Finnish customs officials believe the Eagle S is part of a “shadow fleet” of aging tankers used to transport Russian oil while evading sanctions.

The ship was reportedly carrying Russian oil at the time of the incident, intensifying suspicions about its operations.

The Baltic Sea region has been on high alert following multiple incidents of damaged infrastructure, including power cables, telecom links, and gas pipelines, since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

NATO has pledged to increase its presence in the area to protect critical infrastructure.

The Kremlin has downplayed the detention of the Eagle S, saying it has little concern over the matter. Russia has also denied any involvement in this or previous cases of infrastructure damage in the region.

The Eagle S remains impounded as Finnish authorities investigate possible criminal mischief. The crew is being questioned, and efforts to locate the missing anchor and assess the full extent of the damage are underway.

References: Reuters, Bloomberg

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