Finland has paraded the huge anchor reportedly used by an oil tanker from Russia’s Shadow Fleet to break several crucial submarine cables at the bottom of the Baltic Sea.
The anchor, believed to belong to the Eagle S oil tanker, is being held by Finnish investigators after it was recovered from the Baltic Sea.
Finland is currently conducting a criminal investigation into the Russian-linked oil tanker Eagle S after the anchor was suspected of causing damage to Estlink-2’s power cable on Christmas Day.
The Eagle S is believed to be part of Russia’s so-called ‘shadow fleet’ – ships carrying Russian crude oil and petroleum products, which are embargoed due to Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine.
The vital cable transports electricity from Finland to Estonia across the Baltic Sea.
The incident cut the electricity connection on Estlink 2 between the EU and NATO states of Finland and Estonia on December 25 and caused an uproar in Europe, with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte vowing to ‘strengthen the military presence in the Baltic Sea’.
Finnish police said on December 29 that they had found a drag mark stretching tens of kilometers along the seabed.
Investigators suspect the cables were damaged after the tanker’s anchor was dragged over them.
The anchor (photo), believed to belong to the oil tanker Eagle S, is held by Finnish researchers after it was recovered from the Baltic Sea
A photo taken on December 28, 2024 at Porkkalanniemi, Kirkkonummi, in the Gulf of Finland, shows oil tanker Eagle S (C), flying the flag of the Cook Islands, next to the Finnish Border Guard Ship Uisko (L) and tugboat Ukko (front right)
Sweden sent a submarine rescue ship last week to help Finland investigate and said on Tuesday the anchor had been recovered.
“HMS Belos located the anchor, lifted it and handed it over to the Finnish authorities,” Swedish navy spokesman Jimmie Adamsson told AFP.
Finland seized the tanker on December 28 and banned eight crew members from leaving Finnish territory.
Finnish telecom operator Elisa said on Monday that two of the four damaged telecom cables have been repaired.
The Estlink 2 power cable has not yet been repaired.
Energy and communications infrastructure in particular have been targeted in what experts and politicians call Russia’s “hybrid war” with Western countries.
The Baltic Sea is surrounded by a number of NATO member states.
In a stunning show of force, NATO today deployed a fleet of ten ships to the Baltic Sea to protect Europe’s crucial undersea cables after a wave of sabotage attacks.
The anchor would have been used to cut a crucial cable at the bottom of the Baltic Sea
The anchor belonged to the Eagle S, a Russian-linked oil tanker believed to be part of the Kremlin’s Shadow Fleet.
Finnish authorities said on December 26 that they were investigating a Russian oil tanker named Eagle S that departed from a Russian port due to suspected “sabotage.”
Estlink 2’s power cable in the Gulf of Finland was ruptured due to suspected Russian interference
Finnish authorities announced on January 8, 2025 that they had banned the oil tanker Eagle S, suspected of belonging to Russia’s ‘ghost fleet’ and causing damage to five submarine cables, from sailing due to ‘serious errors’
The Finnish coast guard ship Uisko patrols near oil tanker Eagle S (not in photo) anchored near the port of Kilpilahti in Porvoo, on the Gulf of Finland, on January 9, 2025
The ships will remain at sea until April and will be strategically positioned near energy and data cables in an effort to deter attempts to destroy them.
It comes a week before Finland is due to host a summit of NATO countries on the Baltic Sea to discuss security in the region as the alliance increases its maritime presence following several submarine cable cuts.
The Jan. 14 meeting in Helsinki will focus on “measures needed to secure critical underwater infrastructure,” according to a statement from Finnish President Alexander Stubb’s office.
“The discussion will focus on strengthening NATO’s presence in the Baltic Sea and responding to the threat posed by Russia’s shadow fleet.”
The ‘shadow fleet’ consists of ships carrying Russian crude oil and petroleum products that are under embargo due to Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine.
The often outdated ships operate under questionable ownership or without proper insurance.
Among those who will attend the meeting are NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, the leaders of Denmark, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland and Sweden, and European Commission Executive Vice President Henna Virkkunen.
Finnish President Alexander Stubb and Estonian Prime Minister Kristen Michal will co-organize the meeting.
Finland joined NATO in 2023, leaving decades of military non-alignment after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.