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Finland Detains Tanker Eagle S After Undersea Cable Damage; Sabotage Suspected

Dec 26, 2024, 11:55 AM

Finland is investigating an outage of the undersea power cable EstLink 2, which connects Finland and Estonia, following a sudden disruption on December 25. Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo confirmed the investigation, stating that authorities are considering the possibility of sabotage. The cable's capacity dropped significantly at 10:26 AM GMT, reducing electricity transmission between the two countries. Finnish police are investigating whether external forces, including the involvement of foreign vessels, may have caused the damage. A foreign oil tanker, the Eagle S, registered in the Cook Islands, has been detained by Finnish authorities for investigation. The Finnish Coast Guard boarded the Eagle S via helicopter after it was found dragging its anchor in Finnish waters. Finnish police suspect aggravated criminal damage and aggravated sanctions violations. Additionally, disruptions have been reported in four undersea data cables between Finland and Estonia. Estonian and Finnish officials are cooperating closely on the matter. Security measures have been heightened in the Baltic Sea region due to the incident.