Event 721

{
  "border_violation_countries": [
    "BSR"
  ],
  "category": "Espionage",
  "confidence": "Low",
  "confidence_rationale": "Details from Finnish police and maritime sources confirm the seizure, the presence of spying equipment, and the vessel's suspected involvement in recent cable sabotage. Direct quotes and specifics are provided in the article and screenshot.",
  "countries": [
    "Finland",
    "Russia",
    "Estonia"
  ],
  "country": "Finland",
  "defense_prep": {},
  "description": "Finland seized the Russian-linked tanker Yagile S, suspected of damaging an undersea electricity cable, and discovered it was equipped with substantial spying and monitoring equipment, including gear that could allow eavesdropping on ships, planes, and secure communications.",
  "event_time_utc": "2024-12-27T12:00:00Z",
  "evidence": [
    "The vessel was seized by Finland on suspicion of damaging an undersea cable between Finland and Estonia on December 25, 2023.",
    "Finnish police removed and confiscated specialist transmitting and receiving equipment that significantly exceeded merchant ship requirements.",
    "Crew activities included monitoring and eavesdropping on NATO ships and aircraft, with equipment tuned beyond standard commercial maritime use.",
    "Confiscation of listening equipment, computers, and mass storage devices confirmed intent to monitor or intercept sensitive communications."
  ],
  "evidence_quotes": [
    "Yagile S, the Russia-linked tanker suspected of damaging an undersea electricity cable on Christmas Day, was loaded with specialist transmitting and receiving devices ... [which] allowed it to become a ‘spy ship’ for Russia.",
    "Technical equipment on board was abnormal for a merchant ship and consumed more power from the ship’s electrical wiring to operate hardware.",
    "Crew had installed equipment linked to global and nonstandard-frequency Satlinks and/or 2G and other legacy links ... suspected by police of eavesdropping.",
    "Listening and receiving equipment included at least 20 confidential documents ... removed at least 20 confidential documents and seized over a dozen technical and private information devices.",
    "They were monitoring all Nato naval ships and aircraft ... They had full circuits on them. They were just maxthrew their frequencies.",
    "‘Russian, Turkish, Indian and others were operating there.’",
    "Transmitting and receiving devices were removed on all radio frequencies, and upon reaching Russia were offloaded for analysis."
  ],
  "extra": {
    "category_raw": "Spy Equipment Discovery / Sigint Platform",
    "extra": {
      "extra": {
        "extra": {
          "evidence": [
            "The vessel was seized by Finland on suspicion of damaging an undersea cable between Finland and Estonia on December 25, 2023.",
            "Finnish police removed and confiscated specialist transmitting and receiving equipment that significantly exceeded merchant ship requirements.",
            "Crew activities included monitoring and eavesdropping on NATO ships and aircraft, with equipment tuned beyond standard commercial maritime use.",
            "Confiscation of listening equipment, computers, and mass storage devices confirmed intent to monitor or intercept sensitive communications."
          ]
        }
      }
    }
  },
  "fifth_column_countries": [
    "BSR"
  ],
  "follow_up_by_country": [],
  "follow_up_notes": "Eagle S carried Russian SIGINT equipment.",
  "headline": "Russia-linked cable-cutting tanker seized by Finland ‘was loaded with spying equipment’",
  "location_text": "Finland",
  "media_assets": [
    {
      "description": "Screenshot capture",
      "type": "screenshot",
      "url": "/media/event_721_1763936252_9779fa88.jpg"
    }
  ],
  "notes": "Eagle S carried ??Russian SIGINT equipment per Lloyd s List. Tanker reportedly monitoring NATO ships; advanced SIGINT gear onboard",
  "schema_version": "v1",
  "screenshot_count": 1,
  "sources": [
    "https://www.lloydslist.com/LL1151955/Russia-linked-cable-cutting-tanker-seized-by-Finland-was-loaded-with-spying-equipment"
  ],
  "url": "https://www.lloydslist.com/LL1151955/Russia-linked-cable-cutting-tanker-seized-by-Finland-was-loaded-with-spying-equipment"
}

{
  "5th Column of Russians Inside (which countries)": "BSR",
  "Attack Type": "Spy Equipment Discovery / SIGINT Platform",
  "Borders Including Sea, Air,  Violation or Sabotage (which countries)": "BSR",
  "Continuous? (e.g. Jammers)": "",
  "Country (FI;EE;LV;LT;PL;BSR;Air)\nSeparated by Semicolon": "FI",
  "Date": "27-Dec-24",
  "Defense Prep Event (FI-EE-LV-LT-PL)": "",
  "Defense Prep Event (FI-EE-LV-LT-PL) REF LINK": "",
  "Follow-Up Link?  (FI,EE,LV,LT,PL, BSR, Air)": "https://www.lloydslist.com/LL1151955/Russia-linked-cable-cutting-tanker-seized-by-Finland-was-loaded-with-spying-equipment",
  "Follow-Up NOTES": "",
  "Follow-Up incl. Investigation, Prosecution?  (FI,EE,LV,LT,PL, BSR, Air)": "Eagle S carried Russian SIGINT equipment. ",
  "Latitude, Longitude (WGS84, Decimal Degrees)": "",
  "NOTES": "Eagle S carried ??Russian SIGINT equipment per Lloyd s List. Tanker reportedly monitoring NATO ships; advanced SIGINT gear onboard",
  "Political Disruptions w/ Laws to Favor Kremlin (which countries)": "",
  "Russian-Belarus Terrorist Event (FI-EE-LV-LT-PL)": "",
  "Russian-Belarus Terrorist Event (FI-EE-LV-LT-PL) REF LINK": "",
  "Screen Snapshot": "",
  "Screen Snapshots": "",
  "Type Dropdown": "",
  "Where?\n(Air, Land, Sea)": ""
}