Finland seizes Russian oil tanker suspected of cutting underwater cables
On Christmas Day, someone cut an underwater electricity cable connecting Finland to Estonia. Finland is almost certain that Russia is to blame. Authorities in Finland seized an oil tanker that is part of Russia’s “dark fleet” used to evade sanctions, which was detected passing over the EstLink 2 underwater cable when it stopped working. The incident occurred at 12:26 pm local time on Wednesday, and there are suspicions of sabotage. Damage was confirmed to have been caused potentially as part of the same incident.
Tactics and strategies
Authorities believe that the Eagle S is part of Russia’s fleet that the country has been using since the beginning of its war with Ukraine to evade Western sanctions. This fleet consists of old and rundown ships that Russia does not declare as its own using various techniques such as labyrinthine administrative structures, frequent cargo transfers between ships, falsified information, or switching off identification systems, among other strategies. The country is believed to operate around ships as part of its undeclared oil business. Since many of these vessels transport oil and have minimal maintenance, they often violate modern safety standards and regulations, resulting in additional damage.
The cutting of the cable on Christmas Day is the latest in a series of incidents in which underwater cables connecting NATO countries have been cut. Last month, two fiber optic cables in the Baltic Sea were cut – one between Finland and Germany, and another connecting Lithuania to Sweden. In these cases as well, it is believed to be the work of Russia’s dark fleet, which has taken to lingering near essential infrastructures in the Baltic and North Seas.
While attacks on these cables have not resulted in tangible disruptions, there is concern about how underwater infrastructure would be targeted in future conflicts. Reports suggest that China has used similar tactics in the past, using ship anchors to damage underwater cables. Protecting these key connectivity points is being explored by several countries to prevent future attacks.
