Estonia starts naval patrols to protect undersea cables
The Estonian Navy has deployed a patrol boat a day after Finland seized a ship believed to be part of Russia's "shadow fleet."
The Eagle S tanker sailed from a Russian port and was seized by Finnish authorities
Estonia has started naval patrols to protect a power cable under the Baltic Sea from Finland, Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna said on Friday.
It comes after suspected sabotage of a similar cable earlier this week.
"If there is a threat to the critical undersea infrastructure in our region, there will also be a response," Tsahkna said on social media site X.
Damage to subsea installations has become so frequent that it has become hard to attribute it to mere accidents or poor seamanship, Tsahkna said
Finland seizes Russia 'shadow fleet' ship
Finnish authorities seized an oil tanker on Thursday because they suspect it was involved in cutting important undersea cables.
Police believe the oil tanker's anchor might have damaged the Estlink 2 submarine cable on Wednesday.
Authorities also believe the ship may be part of Russia's "shadow fleet," used to avoid Western sanctions.
"The assumption at the moment is that it is a shadow fleet vessel and the cargo was unleaded petrol loaded in a Russian port," said Sami Rakshit, director general of Finnish Customs.
The Eagle S vessel, which flies under the Cook Islands flag in the South Pacific, was en route to Port Said in Egypt.
NATO to enhance Baltic Sea presence
NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte said Friday the military alliance, "will enhance its military presence in the Baltic Sea."
When asked about Finland's investigation, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said, "I can't say anything precise here, this is a very narrow-profile issue which is hardly the prerogative of the [Russian] presidential administration."
Wednesday's incident came just over a month after telecommunications cables were severed in Swedish territorial waters.
lo/rc (AFP, Reuters)
The Estonian Navy has deployed a patrol boat a day after Finland seized a ship believed to be part of Russia's "shadow fleet."
The Eagle S tanker sailed from a Russian port and was seized by Finnish authorities
Image: Finnish Border Guard LEHTIKUVA/HANDOUT/RAJAVARTIOSTO/dpa/picture alliance
Estonia has started naval patrols to protect a power cable under the Baltic Sea from Finland, Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna said on Friday.
It comes after suspected sabotage of a similar cable earlier this week.
"If there is a threat to the critical undersea infrastructure in our region, there will also be a response," Tsahkna said on social media site X.
Damage to subsea installations has become so frequent that it has become hard to attribute it to mere accidents or poor seamanship, Tsahkna said
Finland seizes Russia 'shadow fleet' ship
Finnish authorities seized an oil tanker on Thursday because they suspect it was involved in cutting important undersea cables.
Police believe the oil tanker's anchor might have damaged the Estlink 2 submarine cable on Wednesday.
Authorities also believe the ship may be part of Russia's "shadow fleet," used to avoid Western sanctions.
"The assumption at the moment is that it is a shadow fleet vessel and the cargo was unleaded petrol loaded in a Russian port," said Sami Rakshit, director general of Finnish Customs.
The Eagle S vessel, which flies under the Cook Islands flag in the South Pacific, was en route to Port Said in Egypt.
NATO to enhance Baltic Sea presence
NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte said Friday the military alliance, "will enhance its military presence in the Baltic Sea."
When asked about Finland's investigation, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said, "I can't say anything precise here, this is a very narrow-profile issue which is hardly the prerogative of the [Russian] presidential administration."
Wednesday's incident came just over a month after telecommunications cables were severed in Swedish territorial waters.
lo/rc (AFP, Reuters)
NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte said Friday that NATO will "enhance its military presence in the Baltic Sea" as Estonia's navy began patrolling an undersea cable supplying energy from Finland. A different cable was disconnected from the power grid on Christmas Day in what Finnish authorities suspect is a case of deliberate sabotage.
Issued on: 27/12/2024
Issued on: 27/12/2024
FRANCE24
By:NEWS WIRES
By:NEWS WIRES
A handout picture released on December 26, 2024 shows a Finnish Border Guard's ship Turva (front) and the oil tanker Eagle S on the sea near Porkkalanniemi. © Finnish Border Guard via AFP
NATO will bolster its military presence in the Baltic Sea after the suspected sabotage of an undersea power cable linking Finland and Estonia this week, the Western military alliance's chief Mark Rutte said on Friday.
On Christmas Day, the Estlink 2 submarine cable that carries electricity from Finland to Estonia was disconnected from the grid, just over a month after two telecommunications cables were severed in Swedish territorial waters in the Baltic.
Finnish authorities on Thursday said they were investigating the oil tanker, Eagle S, that sailed from a Russian port, as part of a probe for "aggravated sabotage".
Finnish President Alexander Stubb said on Friday: "We've got the situation under control, and we have to continue to work together vigilantly to make sure that our critical infrastructure is not damaged by outsiders."
Officials suspect the tanker is part of the Russian "shadow fleet", which refers to ships that transport Russian crude and oil products embargoed due to Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
The Eagle S vessel, which flies under the flag of the Cook Islands in the South Pacific, was en route to Port Said in Egypt. Police suspect that the oil tanker's anchor might have damaged the power cable.
Rutte said he spoke to President Stubb about Finland's probe, adding in a post on X: "I expressed my full solidarity and support. NATO will enhance its military presence in the Baltic Sea."
Estonian Defence Minister Hanno Pevkur earlier on Friday said on X that the country began naval patrols to protect the undersea cable supplying electricity from Finland.
In a separate statement he said Tallinn wanted to send a clear message it was ready to protect its power connections with Finland with military and non-military means.
Rutte on Thursday promised NATO support to Estonia and Finland, and condemned attacks on critical infrastructure after speaking to Estonian Prime Minister Kristen Michal.
NATO will bolster its military presence in the Baltic Sea after the suspected sabotage of an undersea power cable linking Finland and Estonia this week, the Western military alliance's chief Mark Rutte said on Friday.
On Christmas Day, the Estlink 2 submarine cable that carries electricity from Finland to Estonia was disconnected from the grid, just over a month after two telecommunications cables were severed in Swedish territorial waters in the Baltic.
Finnish authorities on Thursday said they were investigating the oil tanker, Eagle S, that sailed from a Russian port, as part of a probe for "aggravated sabotage".
Finnish President Alexander Stubb said on Friday: "We've got the situation under control, and we have to continue to work together vigilantly to make sure that our critical infrastructure is not damaged by outsiders."
Officials suspect the tanker is part of the Russian "shadow fleet", which refers to ships that transport Russian crude and oil products embargoed due to Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
The Eagle S vessel, which flies under the flag of the Cook Islands in the South Pacific, was en route to Port Said in Egypt. Police suspect that the oil tanker's anchor might have damaged the power cable.
Rutte said he spoke to President Stubb about Finland's probe, adding in a post on X: "I expressed my full solidarity and support. NATO will enhance its military presence in the Baltic Sea."
Estonian Defence Minister Hanno Pevkur earlier on Friday said on X that the country began naval patrols to protect the undersea cable supplying electricity from Finland.
In a separate statement he said Tallinn wanted to send a clear message it was ready to protect its power connections with Finland with military and non-military means.
Rutte on Thursday promised NATO support to Estonia and Finland, and condemned attacks on critical infrastructure after speaking to Estonian Prime Minister Kristen Michal.
More EU sanctions
The European Union has also threatened further sanctions against Russia's shadow fleet after this week's incident.
The bloc's 27 member states agreed earlier this month to blacklist around 50 more oil tankers from Russia's shadow fleet used to circumvent Western sanctions, taking the number targeted to around 80.
Ukraine's international backers have looked to curb funds going to the Kremlin's war machine by imposing a price cap and restrictions on Russia's key oil exports.
To skirt the measures, Russia has resorted to using a so-called "shadow fleet" of often ageing vessels that operate under dubious ownership or without proper insurance.
Tensions have mounted around the Baltic since Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
In September 2022, a series of underwater blasts ruptured the Nord Stream pipelines that carried Russian gas to Europe, the cause of which has yet to be determined.
In October 2023, an undersea gas pipeline between Finland and Estonia was shut down after it was damaged by the anchor of a Chinese cargo ship.
On November 17 and 18 this year, sections of two telecom cables were cut in Swedish territorial waters. Suspicions have been directed at the Yi Peng 3, which according to ship tracking sites had sailed over the cables around the time they were cut.
(AFP)
Finland probes Russia-linked tanker for 'sabotage' of undersea cable
Finnish authorities are investigating the oil tanker Eagle S, suspected of "aggravated sabotage" to the Estlink 2 power cable between Finland and Estonia damaged on Christmas Day. The tanker is thought to be part of Russia's "shadow fleet" vessels that transport embargoed Russian oil products.
Issued on: 26/12/2024 -
FRANCE24
NEWS WIRES
Finnish authorities are investigating the oil tanker Eagle S, suspected of "aggravated sabotage" to the Estlink 2 power cable between Finland and Estonia damaged on Christmas Day. The tanker is thought to be part of Russia's "shadow fleet" vessels that transport embargoed Russian oil products.
Issued on: 26/12/2024 -
FRANCE24
NEWS WIRES
This handout picture released by The Finnish Border Guard on December 26, 2024 shows the Oil tanker Eagle S on the sea outside the Porkkalanniemi.
© AFP - Finnish Border Guard
Finnish authorities said Thursday they are investigating an oil tanker that sailed from a Russian port for the "sabotage" of a power cable linking Finland and Estonia that was damaged the previous day.
On Christmas Day, the Estlink 2 submarine cable that carries electricity from Finland to Estonia was disconnected from the grid, just over a month after two telecommunications cables were severed in Swedish territorial waters in the Baltic Sea.
Robin Lardot of Finland's National Bureau of Investigation said a probe for "aggravated sabotage" had been opened into the oil tanker Eagle S, that flies under the flag of the Cook Islands in the South Pacific.
"The assumption at the moment is that it is a shadow fleet vessel and the cargo was unleaded petrol loaded in a Russian port," said Sami Rakshit from Director General of Finnish Customs.
The shadow fleet refers to the ships which transport embargoed Russian crude and oil products.
"We monitored the situation closely yesterday" with Prime Minister Petteri Orpo, Finnish President Alexander Stubb on X.
"The risks posed by the Russian shadow fleet must be ruled out," he added.
"We have already boarded the vessel, spoken with the crew and gathered evidence," said Lardot.
Police suspect that the oil tanker's anchor might have damaged the power cable.
"Our patrol vessel travelled to the area and could determine visually that the vessel's anchor was missing," Markku Hassinen of the Finnish Border Guard told a news conference.
"So there is a clear reason to suspect something strange happened," he added.
Engineers from the Finnish and Estonian power grid companies have located the damaged part of the cable.
Tensions have mounted around the Baltic since Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
In September 2022, a series of underwater blasts ruptured the Nord Stream pipelines that carried Russian gas to Europe, the cause of which has yet to be determined.
In October 2023, an undersea gas pipeline between Finland and Estonia was shut down after it was damaged by the anchor of a Chinese cargo ship.
Early on November 17 this year, the Arelion telecommunications cable running from the Swedish island of Gotland to Lithuania was damaged.
The next day, the C-Lion 1 submarine cable connecting Helsinki and the German port of Rostock was cut south of Sweden's Oland island.
Suspicions concerning the November 17 incident focused on a Chinese-flagged vessel, the Yi Peng 3, which was in the area at the time.
Sweden said Monday that China had denied a request for prosecutors to conduct an investigation on the vessel and that it had left the area.
European officials have said they suspect several of the incidents are sabotage linked to Russia's invasion of Ukraine, with the Kremlin dismissing this as "absurd" and "laughable".
(AFP)
Finnish authorities said Thursday they are investigating an oil tanker that sailed from a Russian port for the "sabotage" of a power cable linking Finland and Estonia that was damaged the previous day.
On Christmas Day, the Estlink 2 submarine cable that carries electricity from Finland to Estonia was disconnected from the grid, just over a month after two telecommunications cables were severed in Swedish territorial waters in the Baltic Sea.
Robin Lardot of Finland's National Bureau of Investigation said a probe for "aggravated sabotage" had been opened into the oil tanker Eagle S, that flies under the flag of the Cook Islands in the South Pacific.
"The assumption at the moment is that it is a shadow fleet vessel and the cargo was unleaded petrol loaded in a Russian port," said Sami Rakshit from Director General of Finnish Customs.
The shadow fleet refers to the ships which transport embargoed Russian crude and oil products.
"We monitored the situation closely yesterday" with Prime Minister Petteri Orpo, Finnish President Alexander Stubb on X.
"The risks posed by the Russian shadow fleet must be ruled out," he added.
"We have already boarded the vessel, spoken with the crew and gathered evidence," said Lardot.
Police suspect that the oil tanker's anchor might have damaged the power cable.
"Our patrol vessel travelled to the area and could determine visually that the vessel's anchor was missing," Markku Hassinen of the Finnish Border Guard told a news conference.
"So there is a clear reason to suspect something strange happened," he added.
Engineers from the Finnish and Estonian power grid companies have located the damaged part of the cable.
Tensions have mounted around the Baltic since Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
In September 2022, a series of underwater blasts ruptured the Nord Stream pipelines that carried Russian gas to Europe, the cause of which has yet to be determined.
In October 2023, an undersea gas pipeline between Finland and Estonia was shut down after it was damaged by the anchor of a Chinese cargo ship.
Early on November 17 this year, the Arelion telecommunications cable running from the Swedish island of Gotland to Lithuania was damaged.
The next day, the C-Lion 1 submarine cable connecting Helsinki and the German port of Rostock was cut south of Sweden's Oland island.
Suspicions concerning the November 17 incident focused on a Chinese-flagged vessel, the Yi Peng 3, which was in the area at the time.
Sweden said Monday that China had denied a request for prosecutors to conduct an investigation on the vessel and that it had left the area.
European officials have said they suspect several of the incidents are sabotage linked to Russia's invasion of Ukraine, with the Kremlin dismissing this as "absurd" and "laughable".
(AFP)
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