Finnish Coast Guard patrol boat. Photo: Raja fin

Finnish Coast Guard patrol boat. Photo: Raja fin

Update: it's not just about another destroyed cable

The damage is critical!

Not only an allegedly lost anchor, but also probable espionage intent

On 25 December 2024 at around 13:00 local time, Estlink 2, an electricity link between Finland and Estonia, was destroyed. Estlink has a capacity of 650 MW and was built to make the Baltic states independent of the Russian power grid. Dating back to Soviet times, the Baltic states are still part of an electricity network that connects Russia, Belarus and the three Baltic states.

Older photo of the "Eagle S", tanker of the Russian "shadow fleet", photo: maritime traffic

Older photo of the "Eagle S", tanker of the Russian "shadow fleet", photo: maritime traffic

In order to supply the three Baltic states in times of high consumption, three connections to the European electricity grid have been built in recent years. A 1000MW line connects Poland with Lithuania, another 700MW line connects Sweden with Lithuania and a third line supplies Estonia with electricity from Finland. This line was interrupted on 25 December 2024. The Finnish Coast Guard was quickly on the scene. The current status was announced at a press conference on 26 December. According to the report, the tanker "Eagle S" was sighted with the anchor chain deployed and travelling slowly in the sea area where the damage is suspected to have occurred. When the anchor chain was hoisted on command, it was discovered that the anchor was missing. The ship was then boarded and directed to a Finnish roadstead. As was announced today, 27 December, Finnish special forces of the border troops carried out the boarding of the "Eagle S". According to the report, it was a surprise seizure that left the crew of the ship no time to destroy evidence (@mikkolsotalo on "X").

Special Forces soldier of the Finnish Coast Guard Photo: Raja @24

Special Forces soldier of the Finnish Coast Guard Photo: Raja @24

You can't "not notice" that!

The "Eagle S" came from Russia with a cargo of petrol for Egypt. It is 228 metres long, displaces 75,000 tonnes and is part of the Russian so-called shadow fleet. These are tankers with unclear ownership that are used to transport oil and oil products from Russia in violation of sanctions. These ships often have no insurance because sanctions imposed by Western states are particularly effective here. This is the third incident in which a ship has destroyed seabed infrastructure with an anchor in the Baltic Sea. To be clear: a ship does not drop its anchor "by mistake" and "without realising it". And it certainly doesn't continue on its way. The anchor of the "Eagle S" will weigh between five and ten tonnes. The chain also weighs over 100 tonnes. A weight of this magnitude is capable of holding a large ocean-going vessel at its anchorage even in a storm. Dragging this weight across the seabed over several kilometres requires considerable power from the engine, and it also makes a lot of noise and rattling. It's a bit like a heavy lorry dragging a semi-trailer without wheels along the A7 motorway from Flensburg to Hamburg and then saying that it didn't even notice.

Espionage - technology found on board

On 27 December 2024, Lloyd's List published an article detailing the reconnaissance equipment on board the "Eagle 2". According to the article, the ship has various equipment on board for intercepting telecommunications. Personnel had also been embarked for this purpose. Lloyd's List quotes an anonymous source who also states that the data obtained in this way was handed over on arrival in Russian harbours. The sister ship of the "Eagle 2" operated in a similar way.

Although these statements cannot yet be verified, Lloyd's List is a credible source (see below). The search of the ship will shed light on this. If the allegations are confirmed, this will above all have an impact on the assessment of the "anchor manoeuvre". Then one MUST speak of Russian state action. Because a ship that is deployed with personnel and equipment for reconnaissance is obviously under the control of the Russian state. Equipment and information required for espionage are usually secret, especially frequencies and procedures. A state does not give such things on board a ship that it does not control itself. It can only be a matter of full control by the Russian state. Does anyone suspect activities by the Cook Islands, under whose flag the ship is sailing? Of course not, and since it has been proven that the use of the anchor was not accidental, the order to destroy the power line must have come from Moscow. So there is no other conclusion than pure intent.

And with the Estlink line, for the first time a facility was created that has a direct impact on the political actions of allied nations. On 26 December, the Baltic states lacked around 200 MW of electrical power. This had to be sourced from Russia.

Text: Sebastian Hamann
Editor: Holger Schlüter

2 Comments

  1. Nicely summarised

    Reply
  2. So much for a "peaceful Christmas"!

    Anyone who still doesn't realise that we are no longer at "peace" with Russia should read this article again.
    If you still don't believe it - welcome to the new reality of hybrid warfare.

    Reply

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