Finnish investigators have discovered an anchor drag mark on the Baltic seabed, which they believe was caused by a Russia-linked vessel. The discovery has heightened concerns about suspected sabotage by Russia’s “shadow fleet” of fuel tankers. The incident occurred after a rupture in a Baltic Sea power cable, which transmits energy from Finland to Estonia across the sea.
According to Finnish police chief investigator Sami Paila, the anchor mark continued for dozens of kilometers and is believed to be from an anchor of the seized vessel Eagle S. Authorities have begun to investigate how the anchor mark was created at sea and what the intent behind it was.
The Eagle S is part of Russia’s shadow fleet, a group of aging vessels with obscure ownership that are acquired to evade Western sanctions. The vessel has been probed under criminal charges for aggravated interference with telecommunications, aggravated vandalism, and aggravated regulatory offenses.
NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte has announced that the military alliance will step up patrols in the Baltic Sea region following the incident. Meanwhile, EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas warned of increased sabotage attempts in Europe since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
Finnish authorities have taken action to prevent further damage and ensure environmental safety, dispatching a tugboat and patrol ship to monitor another vessel with engine failure drifting near the Gulf of Finland.
Source: https://apnews.com/article/finland-estonia-russia-cable-undersea-sabotage-nato-c676c2ddb89db3dba60c96cfea4a0679