Russia-linked oil tanker allegedly sabotaged was packed with spy equipment: report
this Eagle S A tanker carrying Russian oil allegedly cut the Estlink 2 power cable running between Finland and Estonia under the Baltic Sea and was packed with spy equipment, according to reports. The cable incident is the latest in a series of such incidents in the strategically important region as tensions with Russia rise following the war in Ukraine.
After being detained by Finnish police Eagle S The vessel was found to be “equipped with special transmitting and receiving equipment used to monitor naval activities,” according to sources directly involved with the vessel. Lloyd’s List reported. These devices “effectively make it a Russian ‘spy ship.'”
“The high-tech equipment on board was unusual for a commercial ship and consumed more power from the ship’s generators, causing repeated power outages,” a source familiar with the ship said seven months ago when it provided commercial marine services. ,” the publication noted.
“Monitoring and recording equipment was brought aboard the 20-year-old tanker during calls in Turkey and Russia in ‘huge portable suitcases’ and ‘many laptops’ with Turkish and Russian keyboards ” Lloyd’s List reported. “The equipment is kept on the bridge or ‘Monkey Island,’ which is the uppermost part of the ship.”
“Transmitting and receiving equipment is used to record all radio frequencies and is offloaded for analysis upon arrival in Russia,” the outlet added. “They are monitoring all NATO naval ships and aircraft. They have all the details about them. They Just match their frequencies.
The equipment was operated by “Russian, Turkish, and Indian radio officials,” Lloyd Leest means.
“Eagle S The publication’s sources said “sensor-type equipment” was also dropped in the English Channel during the transit.
war zone The claims could not be independently verified, but a shipping industry security source told CNN they “appear to be reasonable.”
after Eagle S Finnish police, working with other authorities, boarded and seized the 750-foot Cook Island-flagged oil tanker and hijacked it after the location where the Estlink 2 cable was severed was discovered within Finland’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ). This tanker. Finnish authorities also launched a criminal investigation.
“The Helsinki Police Service and the Border Guard have conducted tactical operations against the vessel,” Finnish police said in a statement on Thursday. “The authorities have taken investigative measures against the vessel and the Finnish Border Guard and Defense Force helicopters have allowed Police are also investigating other possible damage in the area.
Finnish investigators believe Eagle S The damage may have been caused by dragging the anchor along the seafloor, Reuters reported.
United Arab Emirates-based Caravella LLCFZ reportedly owns the vessel maritime traffic Data, did not respond to our request for comment.
Grid operators in Finland and Estonia said the 658-megawatt Estlink 2 began to lose power at noon local time on Wednesday, leaving only the 358-megawatt Estlink 1 connecting Finland and Estonia. Reuters. The next day, officials said four telecommunications cables under the Baltic Sea connecting Estonia to Finland were also out of service.
Fingrid EstLink 2 substation in Antila, Porvoo (Bolga), Finland (Photo: Markku Ulander / Lehtikuva / AFP) / Finland) MARKKU ULANDER
On Friday morning, Finnish President Alex Stubb said “the situation is under control”.
“We have no reason to worry,” he added on Twitter. “We are investigating what happened.”
The President and the Minister agree. Käsittelimme Suomenlahden kaapelivaurioita.
Colmeviestiani:
1. Suomella on vahva kyky Wasta tämän kaltaisiin tilanteisiin. And, Verano Mesme… pic.twitter.com/O1cjk7RGrX
— Alexander Stubb (@alexstubb) December 27, 2024
NATO is increasing its presence in the Baltic Sea due to alleged sabotage, and the United States is likely to do the same.
Estonia experienced a power outage on Dec. 25 when the Estlink 2 cable was severed, and officials there joined Finnish officials in requesting NATO help to protect the Estlink 1 undersea cable about 25 miles to the west. NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte responded on Friday by saying the alliance would “step up” its presence in the Baltics, without providing any details. When asked about specific circumstances war zonea NATO spokesman declined to “provide details of the operation at this time.”
speak with/speak to @AlexStubb Regarding the ongoing Finnish-led investigation into possible sabotage of undersea cables. I express my full solidarity and support. #NATO Military presence in the Baltic Sea will be strengthened.
— Mark Ruitt (@SecGenNATO) December 27, 2024
At the same time, the Estonian Navy dispatched Rajua 148-foot patrol boat used to protect Estlink 1 from Helsinki, Finland, to Tallinn, Estonia.
“The Estonian Navy is starting to use patrol ships to protect the Estlink 1 submarine cable Raju“Working with the Finnish Navy and NATO’s Supreme Allied Command Europe (SACEUR) to secure energy connections between Estonia and Finland,” the Estonian Navy said on Twitter.
The Estonian Navy has begun using the Raju patrol vessel to protect the Estlink 1 submarine cable and is working with the Finnish Navy and NATO’s Supreme Allied Command Europe (SACEUR) to secure energy connections between Estonia and Finland. pic.twitter.com/YGctwT6D8z
— Estonian Defense Force | Eesti Kaitsevägi (@Kaitsevagi) December 27, 2024
SACUER A spokesman for Gen. Christopher G. Cavoli told CNN he is considering a “serious” response that could involve U.S. assets.
“The Supreme Allied Commander Europe has been following this closely from the beginning,” SACUER spokesman Martin O’Donnell said. war zone. “Potential damage to undersea cables is a serious issue that requires an equally serious and thoughtful response.”
He added that Supreme Allied Forces Europe (SHAPE) “has options and assets from 32 countries, including the United States, that can be used to respond.” “SHAPE, in close coordination with Allied Joint Forces Command Brentham, Allied Maritime Command and relevant nations, is coordinating the use of these options and assets, but I am unable to provide further operational details at this time.”
A spokesman for the Finnish military declined to comment and deferred questions to Finnish police, which is leading the investigation into the cable break.
The alleged vandalism of Estlink 2 power lines is one of several recent such incidents.
In November, Germany said damage to two communications cables under the Baltic Sea was likely caused by sabotage. Both cables are fiber optic communications cables that run along the bottom of the Baltic Sea. One runs between the Swedish island of Gotland and Lithuania, and the other runs between Finland and Germany. Gotland is about 280 miles southwest of where the Estlink 2 cable was severed.
A day later, Denmark confirmed it was monitoring a Chinese cargo ship that was at the center of allegations about the damage. 735 feet long Yipeng No. 3 The company was confirmed to be operating near the cable at the time of the incident. The Chinese ship left the Russian port of Ust-Luga near the Estonian border in the Leningrad region on November 15 and was originally scheduled to arrive in Port Said, Egypt, on December 15.
According to publicly available ship tracking data, Yipeng No. 3 Around the same time the damage was first reported, both cables appeared to pass overhead.
Chinese ships, bulk carriers Yipeng No. 3 A Danish naval patrol ship (unseen) anchors and is under surveillance in the Kattegat Sea near the city of Grana in Jutland, Denmark, on November 20, 2024. )/Produced by Mikel Berg Pedersen, Denmark
According to German newspaper reports keeler newswhen it is confirmed that the C-Lion1 cable is damaged, Yipeng “It took nearly 90 minutes to anchor, drift and sail twice in the waters south of Öland.”
“No one believes that the cables were accidentally damaged,” German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said at the time. “I also don’t want to believe that the anchor was accidentally damaged. In the absence of specific information, we have to assume Damage is caused by destruction.
Two undersea communications cables were damaged last month, one connecting Finland to mainland Europe via Germany, and the other connecting Lithuania to the Swedish island of Gotland. (Photo by Murat Usubali/Anadolu via Getty Images)
There were other suspicious activities taking place in the Baltic Sea, including suspected sabotage.
Most notoriously, there was a series of explosions in 2022 along the Nord Stream gas pipeline. wall street journal Reports in August said it was a sabotage operation by Ukraine. Ukrainian officials deny the accusation.
There have been other reported incidents of damage to key communications cables outside the Baltic Sea, including one involving Evans Airport in northern Norway, which occurred in April but was not disclosed until August because TWZ reported at the time. Norway has had other suspicious incidents in the past, notably the 2022 cutting of a vital undersea cable connecting Svalbard to mainland Norway.
While the Baltic Sea has long been of strategic importance to Russia and NATO and its allies, incidents in these waters have surged since Moscow launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. The fact that the ships are suspected of being equipped with surveillance equipment has only heightened regional tensions.
Contact the author: howard@thewarzone.com
