Finnish authorities investigate Russian Vessel Eagle S in Estlink 2 cable damage incident
Finnish police have identified the Russian vessel Eagle S as a suspect in the damage to the Estlink 2 cable, as reported by Yle. The vessel, part of Russia's shadow fleet, has been linked to circumventing Western sanctions.
The Eagle S, sailing under the flag of the Cook Islands, was en route from St. Petersburg to Egypt and was spotted near Estlink 2 at the time of the cable's failure
According to reports, Finnish border guards boarded the Russian vessel and, when one officer requested to pull up the anchor, only the chain surfaced. The ship is currently in Finnish waters, and authorities are treating the incident as vandalism.
Separately, ERR reports that Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna discussed the incident with his Finnish counterpart, Elina Valtonen. According to Tsahkna, Finnish authorities are investigating the Eagle S's involvement in the cable damage.
"We need to recognize that the damage to underwater infrastructure has become systematic and should be treated as an attack on our vital infrastructure," Tsahkna stated.
On December 25, the electrical underwater cable Estlink 2, connecting Finland and Estonia, was disrupted. During the incident, two ships were passing by.
Previously, Sweden criticized China for denying the lead investigator of the Nordic country access to the Chinese vessel Yi Peng 3, suspected of tearing two cables in the Baltic Sea in November. According to FT sources, investigators' on-board findings left little doubt about the vessel's involvement. In response, China's Foreign Ministry claimed that Beijing has provided information and documents for the investigation into the cable break incidents.