Finnish authorities have discovered over two dozen serious deficiencies on the impounded Eagle S ship, which was found to have dragged its anchor in the Baltic Sea on December 25, damaging an underwater power line and four telecommunication cables. The ship, owned by Caravella LLC FZ based in the United Arab Emirates, is suspected to be part of Russia's "shadow fleet" used to bypass sanctions on Russian oil. Eight crew members are currently under investigation in connection with the incident.
The Finnish public transport agency has prohibited the vessel from operating until 32 issues are resolved. Finnish police recovered an anchor from the seabed believed to be connected to the Eagle S, and Finnish officials attribute the damage to the underwater cables to a strong external force.
This incident follows two similar instances of damage to critical infrastructure in the Baltic Sea in recent weeks. The disruption caused by the damage to the power line is expected to take up to seven months to repair, potentially resulting in increased electricity prices in Estonia over the winter.
Experts warn that these incidents indicate a concerning pattern of suspicious behavior by vessels linked to Russia and China in the region. NATO has pledged to strengthen its presence in response to these threats, and the UK has activated an alert system to monitor potential maritime threats using artificial intelligence.
The Finnish Institute of International Affairs' senior research fellow, Edward Hunter Christie, believes that Finland's grounding of the Eagle S sends a strong message to Russia and could hinder their ability to transport oil. However, there are concerns about the ability of Western democracies to protect the extensive underwater infrastructure in international waters, as the responsibility for safeguarding it remains unclear.
The recent incidents have prompted calls for updates to maritime laws to address deliberate acts of sabotage on critical infrastructure, and experts believe that these attacks are likely to continue in the future.