2024 Estlink 2 incident: Difference between revisions
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==Incident== |
==Incident== |
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On early morning 25 December 2024, the oil tanker ''[[Eagle S]]'', officially under management of the company Peninsular Maritime India and with an Indian safety management certificate from September 2024, left the Russian port of [[Ust-Luga]] with a load of [[unleaded gasoline]], which was, according to press research, destined for [[Aliağa]], Turkey. The captain was a 39-year-old Georgian national, who had joined the crew in October.<ref>{{cite news |title=Finland Suspects a Ship From the Russian Shadow Fleet of a New Cable Damage in the Baltic Sea. IStories Found Its Captain |url=https://istories.media/en/news/2024/12/26/eagle-s/ |access-date=27 December 2024 |work=iStories |date=27 December 2024 |language=en}}</ref> |
On early morning 25 December 2024, the oil tanker ''[[Eagle S]]'', officially under management of the company Peninsular Maritime India and with an Indian safety management certificate from September 2024, left the Russian port of [[Ust-Luga]] with a load of [[unleaded gasoline]], which was, according to press research, destined for [[Aliağa]], Turkey. (Other sources say [[Port Said, Egypt]].)<ref>https://yle.fi/a/74-20133606</ref> The captain was a 39-year-old Georgian national, who had joined the crew in October.<ref>{{cite news |title=Finland Suspects a Ship From the Russian Shadow Fleet of a New Cable Damage in the Baltic Sea. IStories Found Its Captain |url=https://istories.media/en/news/2024/12/26/eagle-s/ |access-date=27 December 2024 |work=iStories |date=27 December 2024 |language=en}}</ref> |
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On 25 December at 10:26 GMT, ''Eagle S'' crossed the [[Estlink|Estlink 2]] submarine cable beneath the [[Gulf of Finland]]. At the same time, the Finnish electricity transmission grid operator [[Fingrid]] reported a power outage on the cable.<ref>{{cite web |title=Finland boards oil tanker suspected of causing internet, power cable outages |url=https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/finland-police-investigate-role-foreign-ship-after-power-cable-outage-2024-12-26/ |website=reuters.com |access-date=26 December 2024 }}</ref> |
On 25 December at 10:26 GMT, ''Eagle S'' crossed the [[Estlink|Estlink 2]] submarine cable beneath the [[Gulf of Finland]]. At the same time, the Finnish electricity transmission grid operator [[Fingrid]] reported a power outage on the cable.<ref>{{cite web |title=Finland boards oil tanker suspected of causing internet, power cable outages |url=https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/finland-police-investigate-role-foreign-ship-after-power-cable-outage-2024-12-26/ |website=reuters.com |access-date=26 December 2024 }}</ref> |
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At 1:50 p.m. local time the ''Eagle S'' made a U-turn back towards Russia, approximately a half-an-a-hour after having crossed over EST 2; she returned to her original course at approximately 2:20 p.m.<ref>https://yle.fi/a/74-20133606</ref> |
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== Investigation == |
== Investigation == |
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Revision as of 16:10, 28 December 2024
 | This article documents a current maritime incident. Information may change rapidly as the event progresses, and initial news reports may be unreliable. The latest updates to this article may not reflect the most current information. (December 2024) |
| Date | 25 December 2024 |
|---|---|
| Location | Gulf of Finland, Baltic Sea |
| Cause | Under investigation; suspected sabotage |
On 25 December 2024 at 12:26 EET, the Estlink 2 submarine power cable had an unplanned failure, reducing the Estonia–Finland cross-border capacity from 1,016 MW to 358 MW.[1] The Finnish transmission system operator Fingrid expects the failure to last until August 2025.[1] At the time of the outage, electricity was flowing from Finland to Estonia at a rate of 658 MW. Concerns about potential sabotage rose due to the recent outages in the Baltic Sea region, although subsea cables are also prone to technical malfunctions and accidents.[2]
On the evening of the same day authorities were informed of disruptions to four telecommunications cables with two cables belonging to the Finnish telecommunications company Elisa having been completely severed.[3][4]
Finnish authorities are investigating the incident and suspect that the oil tanker Eagle S, believed to be part of the Russian shadow fleet, had intentionally caused the cable rupture with its anchor.[5]
Incident
On early morning 25 December 2024, the oil tanker Eagle S, officially under management of the company Peninsular Maritime India and with an Indian safety management certificate from September 2024, left the Russian port of Ust-Luga with a load of unleaded gasoline, which was, according to press research, destined for Aliağa, Turkey. (Other sources say Port Said, Egypt.)[6] The captain was a 39-year-old Georgian national, who had joined the crew in October.[7]
On 25 December at 10:26 GMT, Eagle S crossed the Estlink 2 submarine cable beneath the Gulf of Finland. At the same time, the Finnish electricity transmission grid operator Fingrid reported a power outage on the cable.[8]
At 1:50 p.m. local time the Eagle S made a U-turn back towards Russia, approximately a half-an-a-hour after having crossed over EST 2; she returned to her original course at approximately 2:20 p.m.[9]
Investigation
Eagle S, registered in the Cook Islands and while not on the list of 79 ships sanctioned by the EU at the time[10] believed to be part of the Russian shadow fleet,[11] is under investigation for its potential involvement in the incident.[5][12] Finnish authorities suspect that the tanker's anchor may have caused the rupture of the cable.[5]
By early evening of 25 December, the Finnish Border Guard's offshore patrol vessel Turva was escorting Eagle S to the Porkkalanniemi peninsula.[12] The anchors were not in place on the vessel, and at 00:28 on the 26th, the Police Rapid Response Unit Karhu and the Special Intervention Unit of the Gulf of Finland Coast Guard District boarded the ship using two helicopters provided by the Finnish Defence Forces and the Finnish Border Guard. The authorities were armed and prepared for resistance, but there was none and the authorities quickly took control of the vessel.[13] The authorities asked Eagle S to raise the anchor, but only the anchor chain rose to the surface. The police took possession of the ship.[14]
The ship's crew, numbering just over 20 members, is made up of Georgian and Indian nationals.[15] The nationality of her officers has not been announced. According to Sami Paila, Head of Investigation at the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), some of the crew are suspects and some are witnesses, and no arrests have been made.[16] According to Sami Rakshit head of the Finnish Customs, the case is also being investigated for a serious regulatory offense of evasion of sanctions imposed on Russia following its invasion of Ukraine, as the vessel is carrying 35,000 tons of unleaded gasoline.[17][18] Furthermore, investigators found no valid insurance for the ship at the time of incident in the Indian Register of Shipping, with her last policy, with Ingosstrakh, having expired in August 2024.[19]
On 27 December 2024, Eagle S and Turva were still near Porkkalanniemi.[21] The police confirmed that the tanker is suspected of having caused the failure and that the incident is being investigated as an act of gross vandalism, with a flight ban of three kilometers instated around the area to support the preliminary investigation.[22] Chief of Police of Finland Ilkka Koskimäki said that there had not been any contact with Russia and there were no plans to do so.[23]
On the morning of 28 December 2024, Turva left Eagle S and the Finnish tugboat Ukko arrived. According to the police, the ship will be moved to Svartbäck inner anchorage, near the Port of Kilpilahti in Porvoo. Flight bans have been instated to the route and Svartbäck. The tugboat is a few hundred meters away from the tanker, monitoring the situation.[24]
Impact
Because electricity was flowing from Finland to Estonia at the time of the sabotage, and Estonia is a smaller country, electricity prices are expected to decrease slightly in Finland and rise significantly in Estonia.[25]
Reactions
Estonia
Estonia's president Alar Karis said on X that "repeated damage to Baltic Sea infrastructure signals a systemic threat, not mere accidents."[26] Prime minister Kristen Michal said at a news conference that the shadow tankers "are helping Russia to earn funds that will aid Russian hybrid attacks,[27] and Defence Minister Hanno Pevkur announced on public radio that the patrol ship Raju had set sail on Tuesday (24 December) to protect Estlink 1.[28]
Finland
Professor of criminal law Sakari Melander told Helsingin Sanomat, that "here it seems justified to consider the use of coercive measures. Arrest and imprisonment may be an option." Matti Tolvanen, professor emeritus of criminal and procedural law, said that if the ship is allowed to leave, there is little chance of the matter being taken to court or even investigated.[29] A prosecutor has been assigned to handle the case.[30]
European Union and NATO
Kaja Kallas, the foreign EU minister, stated that the incident was "the latest in a series of suspected attacks on critical infrastructure" and thanked Finnish authorities "for their swift action in boarding the suspected vessel".[31]
Mark Rutte, the secretary general of NATO, discussed the incident with Finnish president Alexander Stubb and stated that NATO intends to increase its military presence in the Baltic Sea as a result of the incident.[32]
Russia
The Kremlin did not comment on the issue. "I can't say anything for sure, it's a very narrow-profile question, which is hardly the prerogative of the presidential administration," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said when asked by a Reuters journalist to comment on the actions of the Finnish authorities.[33]
See also
- 2024 Baltic Sea submarine cable disruptions
- Balticconnector § 2023 damage incident — natural gas pipeline between Finland and Estonia damaged a year earlier
References
- ^ a b c "Unavailability of electricity facilities : Transmission". Nord Pool — UMM Platform. Fingrid Oyj. 26 December 2024. Retrieved 26 December 2024.
- ^ a b "Finland investigates outage of undersea power link to Estonia, Finnish PM says". Reuters. 25 December 2024.
- ^ a b "Neljässä Suomesta lähtevässä tietoliikennekaapelissa häiriöitä – kaksi Elisan kaapelia on kokonaan poikki" [Disturbances in four telecommunications cables leaving Finland – two Elisa cables are completely cut]. Yle Uutiset (in Finnish). 26 December 2024. Retrieved 26 December 2024.
- ^ https://yle.fi/a/74-20133606
- ^ a b c d "Finland probes Russia-linked oil tanker over undersea outage". DW. 26 December 2024.
- ^ https://yle.fi/a/74-20133606
- ^ "Finland Suspects a Ship From the Russian Shadow Fleet of a New Cable Damage in the Baltic Sea. IStories Found Its Captain". iStories. 27 December 2024. Retrieved 27 December 2024.
- ^ "Finland boards oil tanker suspected of causing internet, power cable outages". reuters.com. Retrieved 26 December 2024.
- ^ https://yle.fi/a/74-20133606
- ^ Council Decision (CFSP) 2024/3187 of 16 December 2024 amending Decision 2014/512/CFSP concerning restrictive measures in view of Russia’s actions destabilising the situation in Ukraine, 16 December 2024, retrieved 28 December 2024
- ^ a b "'High-risk' dark fleet tanker leaves ABS class as unscheduled survey into condition looms". Lloyd's List. 18 July 2024. Retrieved 26 December 2024.
- ^ a b c "Estlink cable disruption: Finnish Border Guard detains tanker linked to Russia's 'dark fleet'". Yle News. 26 December 2024. Retrieved 27 December 2024.
- ^ Sajari, Petri (26 December 2024). "HS:n tiedot: Aseistautuneet valmiusjoukot lähetettiin keskellä yötä Eagle S -alukselle, kun syyttäjä pohti vielä terrorismia" [HS's information: Armed readiness troops were sent to the Eagle S vessel in the middle of the night while the prosecutor was still considering terrorism]. Helsingin Sanomat (in Finnish). Archived from the original on 26 December 2024. Retrieved 27 December 2024.
- ^ "Ankkurit eivät olleet paikallaan" [The anchors were not in place.]. Yle Uutiset (in Finnish). 26 December 2024. Retrieved 26 December 2024.
- ^ Karvinen, Eevi (27 December 2024). "Poliisi: Eagle S:n miehistö on hämmentynyt – Kansalaisuudet selvisivät" [Police: The crew of Eagle S is confused – Nationalities have been revealed]. Iltalehti (in Finnish). Retrieved 27 December 2024.
- ^ https://yle.fi/a/74-20133606
- ^ "Tulli: Alus kuuluu varjolaivastoon" [Customs: The ship belongs to the shadow fleet]. Yle Uutiset (in Finnish). 26 December 2024. Retrieved 26 December 2024.
- ^ Kallionpää, Katri (27 December 2024). "Eagle S lähti Venäjältä varhain joulupäivänä, ylitti Estlink 2 -kaapelin ja teki kiepin – video näyttää aluksen reitin" [Eagle S departed from Russia early on Christmas Day, crossed the Estlink 2 cable, and made a loop – the video shows the ship's route]. Helsingin Sanomat (in Finnish). Archived from the original on 27 December 2024. Retrieved 27 December 2024.
- ^ "Finland police seize Russian-linked dark fleet tanker Eagle S in cable-cutting investigation". lloydslist.com. 26 December 2024. Retrieved 27 December 2024.
- ^ "Flyk". flyk.com (in Finnish). Retrieved 28 December 2024.
- ^ "Yle: Russian shadow fleet tanker in the area when Estlink 2 goes offline". ERR. 26 December 2024. Retrieved 26 December 2024.
- ^ "Lentokielto tukee esitutkintaa" [The flight ban supports the preliminary investigation]. Yle Uutiset (in Finnish). 26 December 2024. Retrieved 26 December 2024.
- ^ "Poliisiylijohtaja: Venäjään ei olla yhteydessä" [Police Chief: No contact with Russia]. Yle Uutiset (in Finnish). 26 December 2024. Retrieved 26 December 2024.
- ^ "Estlink 2 | Eagle S siirretään Porvooseen – Paikalla oleva HS:n toimittaja: Alus liikkeellä" [Eagle S is being transferred to Porvoo – HS reporter: The ship is about to set sail]. Helsingin Sanomat (in Finnish). 27 December 2024. Retrieved 28 December 2024.
- ^ "Electricity in Finland may even become cheaper due to suspected cable sabotage". Helsingin Sanomat (in Finnish). 27 December 2024. Retrieved 27 December 2024.
- ^ Karis, Alar [@AlarKaris] (26 December 2024). "Repeated damage to Baltic Sea infrastructure signals a systemic threat, not mere accidents. #Estonia will take action to counter this threat, together with #Finland and other #NATO allies" (Tweet). Retrieved 27 December 2024 – via Twitter.
- ^ "EU preparing sanctions on Russia's 'shadow fleet' after cable damage". euronews. 27 December 2024. Retrieved 27 December 2024.
- ^ "Estonia navy to protect undersea power link after main cable damaged". BBC. 27 December 2024. Retrieved 28 December 2024.
- ^ "Estlink 2 | Eagle S -aluksen vastuuhenkilöt saattavat joutua Suomessa viranomaisten huomaan: "Mitään diplomaattista suojaa ei ole"" [Estlink 2 | Those responsible for the Eagle S ship may come to the attention of authorities in Finland: "There is no diplomatic protection"]. Helsingin Sanomat (in Finnish). 27 December 2024. Retrieved 27 December 2024.
- ^ "Telekaapelit ovat jykevämpiä" [Telecom cables are sturdier]. Yle Uutiset (in Finnish). 26 December 2024. Retrieved 27 December 2024.
Asialle on myös nimetty syyttäjä.
- ^ "Finland detains Russia-linked vessel over damaged undersea power cable in Baltic Sea". NPR. 27 December 2024. Retrieved 28 December 2024.
- ^ Stenvall, Niko (27 December 2024). "Rutte: Nato lisää sotilaallista läsnäoloaan Itämerellä" [Rutte: NATO increases its military presence in the Baltic Sea]. Iltalehti (in Finnish). Retrieved 27 December 2024.
- ^ "В Кремле не комментируют вопрос задержания Финляндией нефтяного танкера" [The Kremlin has not commented on the issue of Finland's detention of an oil tanker]. TACC (in Russian). Retrieved 27 December 2024.
External links
- Eagle S
- Turva
- and Ukko on MarineTraffic