Finland inspects Russian shadow fleet tanker after incident with cut cable

The Finnish authorities are investigating an oil tanker that is part of Russia's shadow fleet for cutting an electric cable between Finland and Estonia.

Source: Financial Times

Details: The Eagle S was stopped by the Finnish authorities after the Estlink 2 submarine electric cable was disconnected in the Gulf of Finland on Wednesday. The Cook Islands-registered tanker, which is carrying oil from Russia to Egypt, was spotted passing over the cable during the incident.

It is noted that this old tanker is part of Russia's shadow fleet and is the focus of the Finnish investigation. The shadow fleet is a group of old and often poorly maintained ships used by Russia to circumvent international sanctions on oil exports.

The incident over Christmas appears to be the latest in a series of pipeline and cable cuts in the Baltic Sea by foreign vessels, raising concerns that critical infrastructure between NATO countries is being deliberately targeted.

Background: 

• In Finland, a fibre-optic cable connecting the country to Sweden was damaged on Monday, 2 December, causing a major communications outage.
• On 18 November, Finland's submarine communication cable with Germany was severed, and an investigation into the cause of the breakdown is ongoing.

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