The Swedish navy has recovered an anchor from the Baltic Sea that was suspected to belong to Russia’s “shadow fleet” and damaged four underwater telecoms cables and one power cable on December 25. The recovery of the anchor, which is believed to be linked to a tanker flying the Cook Islands flag, is part of an ongoing investigation into the incident.
Finnish police have found evidence pointing to a trail from the anchor stretching dozens of kilometers along the seabed, while Finnish authorities have banned eight crew members from leaving Finnish territory. The national energy agency Fingrid has requested that authorities seize the tanker.
The incident is believed to be part of Russia’s “hybrid war” with Western countries, targeting energy and communications infrastructure. NATO announced in late December that it would strengthen its military presence in the Baltic region following similar incidents since Russia’s 2022 invasion.
The recovery of the anchor marks an important development in the investigation, but the full extent of damage to the telecoms cables remains unclear. One power cable, the EstLink 2, is still out of action.
Source: https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2025/01/07/swedish-navy-recovers-anchor-of-tanker-suspected-of-baltic-sea-cable-damage-a87527