EU warns Russia following recent cable incident
Finland has apprehended a Russian vessel following damage to a power cable in the Baltic Sea. Read Full Article at RT.com.
TroibNews 
Finland has detained a Russian oil tanker following damage to an undersea power cable in the Baltic Sea.
EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas announced that the EU intends to impose sanctions on what it labels Russia’s ‘shadow fleet’ of tankers after the EstLink 2 power cable, which connects Finland and Estonia, was severed. The cable was cut in the Gulf of Finland on Wednesday.
On Thursday, Finnish authorities detained the tanker, Eagle S, as part of an investigation into the cable damage. Kallas characterized the severance as the “deliberate destruction of Europe’s critical infrastructure,” pointing the finger at Russia for the incident.
Kallas expressed concern that the “suspected vessel is part of Russia’s shadow fleet, which threatens security and the environment, while funding Russia’s war budget.” She also mentioned the EU's collaboration with Finnish authorities on the investigation and promised to implement additional restrictions “including sanctions, to target this fleet.”
The diplomat added that measures to protect undersea cables are being strengthened and noted there was no risk to electricity supplies from this incident.
In response to the suspected sabotage of EstLink 2, Estonia has deployed naval patrols to protect the EstLink 1 undersea power cable, as these connections are vital for electricity transmission from Finland to Estonia. Estonian Defense Minister Hanno Pevkur emphasized the importance of maintaining operational connectivity with Finland, stating, “We must ensure that nothing else happens and that the critical connection with Finland remains operational.” He also indicated that Finland would soon join these protective efforts, with NATO prepared to take military action if necessary.
This incident adds to a series of cable breaks in the region, leading to allegations of deliberate attacks on critical infrastructure involving NATO states.
In November, two data cables connecting Finland and Germany, along with another between Lithuania and Sweden, were severed. Initial suspicion about those breaches fell on a Chinese ship, the Yi Peng 3, which was in the vicinity at the time. The ship was boarded last week by observers from Sweden, Germany, Finland, and Denmark as part of a Chinese-led investigation.
German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius stated last month that Berlin must assume the incident was “sabotage,” although he did not provide evidence or specify who might be responsible.
These cables are located near the Nord Stream pipelines, which were intentionally damaged in September 2022. While no party has claimed responsibility for that attack, reports have suggested links to individuals associated with Ukraine. In October 2024, Moscow claimed it possessed evidence that the US and UK were behind the Nord Stream sabotage, which London, Washington, and Kiev have denied.
Max Fischer contributed to this report for TROIB News
EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas announced that the EU intends to impose sanctions on what it labels Russia’s ‘shadow fleet’ of tankers after the EstLink 2 power cable, which connects Finland and Estonia, was severed. The cable was cut in the Gulf of Finland on Wednesday.
On Thursday, Finnish authorities detained the tanker, Eagle S, as part of an investigation into the cable damage. Kallas characterized the severance as the “deliberate destruction of Europe’s critical infrastructure,” pointing the finger at Russia for the incident.
Kallas expressed concern that the “suspected vessel is part of Russia’s shadow fleet, which threatens security and the environment, while funding Russia’s war budget.” She also mentioned the EU's collaboration with Finnish authorities on the investigation and promised to implement additional restrictions “including sanctions, to target this fleet.”
The diplomat added that measures to protect undersea cables are being strengthened and noted there was no risk to electricity supplies from this incident.
In response to the suspected sabotage of EstLink 2, Estonia has deployed naval patrols to protect the EstLink 1 undersea power cable, as these connections are vital for electricity transmission from Finland to Estonia. Estonian Defense Minister Hanno Pevkur emphasized the importance of maintaining operational connectivity with Finland, stating, “We must ensure that nothing else happens and that the critical connection with Finland remains operational.” He also indicated that Finland would soon join these protective efforts, with NATO prepared to take military action if necessary.
This incident adds to a series of cable breaks in the region, leading to allegations of deliberate attacks on critical infrastructure involving NATO states.
In November, two data cables connecting Finland and Germany, along with another between Lithuania and Sweden, were severed. Initial suspicion about those breaches fell on a Chinese ship, the Yi Peng 3, which was in the vicinity at the time. The ship was boarded last week by observers from Sweden, Germany, Finland, and Denmark as part of a Chinese-led investigation.
German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius stated last month that Berlin must assume the incident was “sabotage,” although he did not provide evidence or specify who might be responsible.
These cables are located near the Nord Stream pipelines, which were intentionally damaged in September 2022. While no party has claimed responsibility for that attack, reports have suggested links to individuals associated with Ukraine. In October 2024, Moscow claimed it possessed evidence that the US and UK were behind the Nord Stream sabotage, which London, Washington, and Kiev have denied.
Max Fischer contributed to this report for TROIB News
