Finnish Authorities Inspect Tanker Suspected of Damaging Estlink 2 Power Cable

Following the discovery of damage to the Estlink 2 submarine power cable connecting Finland and Estonia on Christmas Day 2024, Finnish investigators focused on the oil tanker Eagle S, believed to be part of the Russian shadow fleet circumventing international sanctions. Authorities detected a long dragging trail on the seabed matching the suspected damage caused by the tanker's anchor. The Eagle S was stopped, escorted into Finnish waters, and detained pending inspection by Finland's transport and communications agency Traficom. Seven crew members face police investigation with travel bans imposed over sabotage suspicions. Lithuania's Energy Minister Zygimantas Vaiciunas confirmed the cable damage will not affect the planned Baltic states’ power grid synchronization with Western Europe but may stress reserve capacity. Since the start of Russia's war on Ukraine in 2022, numerous Baltic telecommunications and power infrastructure components have sustained hybrid attacks attributed to covert Russian actions. This incident fits a pattern of maritime hybrid warfare against critical infrastructure in the region.