Finland investigates oil tanker from Russia for sabotage due to damage to an undersea cable

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Authorities investigate whether the ship belongs to Russia’s “shadow fleet”

Dec. 26 () –

The Finnish Police opened an investigation this Thursday for “aggravated sabotage” of an oil tanker from Russia after damage to the EstLink2, an underwater electricity cable that connects the European country with Estonia.

“The oil tanker ‘Eagle S’, registered in the Cook Islands, entered Finnish territorial waters and its involvement in the damage is now being investigated,” the Police said in a statement in which they stated that they escorted the ship with Guard helicopters. Border and Armed Forces.

Finnish authorities are investigating the damage to the cable, which extends about 170 kilometers in length, of which about 145 kilometers are underwater. In total, fourteen kilometers run through Finnish territory while another twelve run through Estonian territory.

The Director General of Customs, Sami Rahskit, explained in a press conference that the ship is suspected of belonging to the so-called “shadow fleet” of Russia. The case is also being investigated for a serious crime of evasion of sanctions.

The crew of the ship — currently off the coast of Porkkala, about 30 kilometers from the capital, Helsinki — are still being questioned by Finnish authorities, so there are no details about their nationalities.

According to preliminary data from the investigations, the anchors of the tanker truck were not inside the ship, which was transporting refilled gasoline from a Russian port. At the moment, there are no other suspicious vessels, according to the YLE broadcasting network.

The Finnish Prime Minister, Petteri Orpo, has stated that “shadow fleets pose a great risk to other states in the Baltic Sea and the rest of the European Union. “The government is doing everything possible to solve it,” he added.

The shadow fleet are ships from third countries that help transport prohibited goods to Russia or to benefit the Kremlin within the framework of sanctions imposed by Western countries in retaliation for the war in Ukraine.