Sweden announced on Tuesday that its navy had successfully recovered an anchor believed to belong to a Russian “shadow fleet” oil tanker, which is suspected of causing damage to telecommunications and power cables on the Baltic Sea floor.
On December 25, the EstLink 2 electricity cable and four telecom cables connecting Finland and Estonia were severed, likely due to sabotage. The incident came just weeks after similar cable cuts occurred in the Baltic Sea, sparking concerns about a potential hybrid war between Russia and Western nations.
The Eagle S, an oil tanker registered under the Cook Islands flag, is suspected of being involved in the December 25 event. This vessel is reportedly part of Russia’s “shadow fleet,” a group of ships that transport Russian oil and petroleum products that are subject to international sanctions due to Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine.
Finnish authorities confirmed on December 29 that they had found a drag trail extending for miles along the seabed, strengthening suspicions of the tanker’s involvement in the cable damage.
