Swedish Military Joins Finnish Investigation into Baltic Sea Cable Damage

Finland suspects a Russian-linked tanker of damaging critical undersea infrastructure, prompting Sweden to send a specialized vessel to aid the probe.

• The Finnish-Estonian Estlink 2 power cable and several telecom cables were damaged on December 25, with investigators suspecting the Russian-linked tanker 'Eagle S' of dragging its anchor across the seabed.
• Finland seized the Eagle S, a Cook Islands-registered vessel, and its cargo of 35,000 tonnes of Russian oil, as part of an investigation into potential sanctions violations and sabotage.
• A Finnish court upheld the seizure of the tanker and its cargo, rejecting the owner's request for their release, while eight crew members remain under investigation.
• Sweden has deployed a military submarine rescue ship to assist Finnish authorities, emphasizing regional security cooperation in light of increased threats to undersea infrastructure.
• NATO and the European Union have announced measures to enhance the protection of undersea cables, citing concerns over hybrid warfare tactics linked to Russia since its 2022 invasion of Ukraine.

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