SwedenLivingWorld world_2_fill WorldBusiness BusinessSports sports-soccer SportsEntertainmentEntertain

EU proposes sanctions against Russian shadow fleet

The police in Finland are investigating whether a foreign cargo ship - belonging to Russia's shadow fleet - is guilty of the crime of damaging a major power cable between Finland and Estonia. The EU is now proposing new sanctions against Russian ships, and NATO is offering Finland and Estonia support.

» Published: December 26 2024

EU proposes sanctions against Russian shadow fleet
Photo: Antti Aimo-Koivisto/Lehtikuva via AP/TT

The damage to Estlink 2 was discovered at lunchtime on Christmas Day. The incident, which is being investigated by the police, among others, is being investigated as gross sabotage.

On St. Stephen's Day, Fingrid announced that the cable break had occurred in the Finnish Bay in Finnish waters. The repairs will take several months. The police say they have not yet been able to investigate the seabed.

The Estonian government and companies Elisa and Citic Telekom report that communication cables between Estonia and Finland have also been damaged. Work on repairing them has begun. According to the companies, the damage does not affect consumers, reports Yle.

Identified as Russian shadow fleet

The Finnish police and coastguard have boarded the oil tanker Eagle S, flagged in the Cook Islands, in connection with the cable damage. The ship was escorted by the Finnish coastguard to a location southwest of Helsinki on Christmas Eve.

The Eagle S was on its way from St. Petersburg to Egypt. The oil tanker has previously been identified as suspected of being part of the Russian so-called shadow fleet, which helps Russia transport Russian oil.

According to Estonia's Interior Minister Lauri Läänemets, the cable damage is not a coincidence.

It can be seen as an attack on our infrastructure, he says, according to Finnish Ilta-Sanomat, after an extraordinary government meeting on St. Stephen's Day.

Prime Minister Kristen Michal says that more warships will be deployed near critical infrastructure.

More sanctions against Russia

The EU is also threatening further sanctions against Russian ships following the incident.

"The suspected ship is part of Russia's shadow fleet, which threatens security and the environment while financing Russia's war budget. We will propose further measures, including sanctions, to target this fleet," says the EU Commission and EU Foreign Minister Kaja Kallas.

The incident is not expected to affect the power supply, but the situation could change if it gets colder for a longer period, according to Fingrid.

The defense alliance NATO is also expressing its support.

"Spoke with (Estonian Prime Minister) Kristen Michal about reported possible sabotage of Baltic Sea cables. NATO is in solidarity with its allies and condemns all attacks on critical infrastructure," writes NATO chief Mark Rutte on X and continues:

"We are following Estonia's and Finland's investigations and we are ready to provide further support."

Stenergard: Preparatory measures

Sweden's Foreign Minister Maria Malmer Stenergard (M) writes in a statement to TT that the Coast Guard and the Defense Forces are taking preparatory measures to protect underwater infrastructure along the Swedish coast.

The Foreign Minister further writes that she is awaiting the result of the Finnish investigation and does not want to speculate about whether what happened was intentional or not.

The power transmission cable is 17 nautical miles long, of which 14.5 miles run underwater in the Finnish Bay.

The remaining 1.4 miles are overhead lines on the Finnish side and 1.2 miles are underground cables on the Estonian side.

According to Estonian radio, ERR, Estlink 2 has been out of operation earlier, for large parts of 2024, due to maintenance work.

Source: ERR

Tags

TTT
By TTThis article has been altered and translated by Sweden Herald

More news

Erdogan's Challenger Arrested

Erdogan's Challenger Arrested

New Negotiations on Ceasefire on Sunday

New Negotiations on Ceasefire on Sunday

Disagreement about Trump and Putin's conversation

Disagreement about Trump and Putin's conversation

Secret JFK Documents Released

Secret JFK Documents Released

Ukraine: Russian drone hit hospital

Ukraine: Russian drone hit hospital

Poland and the Baltic States want to leave the landmine agreement

Poland and the Baltic States want to leave the landmine agreement

Stranded astronauts back on Earth

Stranded astronauts back on Earth

USAID Shutdown May Violate the Constitution

USAID Shutdown May Violate the Constitution

Macron and Scholz Support a Ceasefire

Macron and Scholz Support a Ceasefire

Zelensky positive - but wants to talk to Trump

Zelensky positive - but wants to talk to Trump

After Talks with Trump: Putin Wants to Play Hockey

After Talks with Trump: Putin Wants to Play Hockey

Researchers on Antarctica ask for help after threats

Researchers on Antarctica ask for help after threats

Political Scientist: A Failure for Trump

Political Scientist: A Failure for Trump

Zelensky visits Finland

Zelensky visits Finland

The EU base in Denmark: "Standing up" for Greenland

The EU base in Denmark: "Standing up" for Greenland

Pride Parade Banned in Hungary

Pride Parade Banned in Hungary

Migrants evicted from Paris theater

Migrants evicted from Paris theater

The International Community Reacts Strongly to Israeli Attacks

The International Community Reacts Strongly to Israeli Attacks

Extremists return to Netanyahu's government

Extremists return to Netanyahu's government

Tourist bus overturns in Spain – several injured

Tourist bus overturns in Spain – several injured

EU on Gaza: "The cycle of violence must be broken"

EU on Gaza: "The cycle of violence must be broken"

Sweden still best in EU – tops the list

Sweden still best in EU – tops the list

Germany: Thousands of Billions of Euros for Weapons and Roads

Germany: Thousands of Billions of Euros for Weapons and Roads

Sudden Floods in Southern Spain

Sudden Floods in Southern Spain

Trump attracts researchers from the USA to Belgium

Trump attracts researchers from the USA to Belgium

Kristersson on Putin talks: "The whole world is on edge"

Kristersson on Putin talks: "The whole world is on edge"

Ceasefire Broken: Nightmare Scenes in Gaza

Ceasefire Broken: Nightmare Scenes in Gaza

The EU attempts to rescue Radio Free Europe

The EU attempts to rescue Radio Free Europe

Trump on the conversation with Putin: Very productive

Trump on the conversation with Putin: Very productive

Kristersson: Risk of Complete Escalation

Kristersson: Risk of Complete Escalation

Expert: Broken Ceasefire a Major Setback for Trump

Expert: Broken Ceasefire a Major Setback for Trump

Protest outside Israel's parliament – "sacrificed hostages"

Protest outside Israel's parliament – "sacrificed hostages"

Stranded Astronauts on Their Way to Earth

Stranded Astronauts on Their Way to Earth

Expert: Putin knows he must give Trump an answer

Expert: Putin knows he must give Trump an answer

80,000 JFK documents made public

80,000 JFK documents made public

Netanyahu: Attack on Gaza "just the beginning"

Netanyahu: Attack on Gaza "just the beginning"

Multiple deaths in Israeli attacks in Syria

Multiple deaths in Israeli attacks in Syria

Trump: Parts of Agreement with Russia Clear

Trump: Parts of Agreement with Russia Clear

Trump withdraws protection for Biden's children

Trump withdraws protection for Biden's children

Over 600 migrants rescued off Tunisia

Over 600 migrants rescued off Tunisia