Finland seized a Russian oil tanker "shadow fleet"

Finnish authorities seized the tankerbelonging to Russia's “shadow fleet”on suspicion of damaging a strategically important undersea power cable connecting Finland and Estonia.

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Danish Military Intelligence Service
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Bloomberg
. Twelve Nordic countries this week announced they would introduce insurance checks on Russian tankers passing through, including Denmark, Estonia, Norway, Sweden and other countries in the region. Denmark will play a decisive role in this process, since its narrow straits are the most important trade artery for Russian oil from the Baltic Sea
“flows almost unhindered since the beginning of a full-scale war in Ukraine”
.

IN Baltic Sea A new scandal is breaking out related to the detention of a Russian tanker, which is attributed to the “shadow fleet of the Russian Federation.” Finnish police, together with the coast guard, detained a Russian oil tanker Eagle Swhich flew the flag of the Cook Islands, and according to the Finnish coast guard, may have been involved in damage to the underwater electrical cable Estlink 2.

This cable, with a length of 170 kilometers and a capacity of 650 megawatts, plays a key role in providing electricity to Finland and the Baltic countries. The incident occurred on Christmas Day, causing a disruption in communications between Finland and Estonia.

Suspicions against the Russian “shadow fleet”

According to The Sun, Eagle S belongs to the so-called Russian “shadow fleet”. The Finnish Coast Guard took the vessel into its territorial waters and captured him. National Police Commissioner Ilkka Koskimäki stated that the captain of the tanker is the main suspect in the incident. Movement of a tanker near the cable Estlink 2 recorded on the map, which increases suspicion of deliberate actions.

Scope of damage and threat

Damaged cables can take months to repair, undermining the region's energy stability. For Finland and Baltic countries Estlink 2 is an important element of energy system integration EUand its shutdown seriously disrupts the energy market.

It is not yet known how Russia will respond to this incident. Last week Denmark statedWhat Russian fleet may begin escorting tankers “shadow fleet” through Baltic Sea and Danish Straits, What “will increase the level of tension” between Moscow and NATO.

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