Oil Tanker Suspected in Latest Gulf of Finland Incident

Oil Tanker Eagle S. Photo: Erik Prozes

In connection with the damage to EstLink 2 and three communication cables, the government convened an extraordinary meeting yesterday to discuss the situation in the Gulf of Finland and the protection of underwater infrastructure.

At a press conference following the meeting, Prime Minister Kristen Michal (RE), Minister of the Interior Lauri Läänemets (SDE), and Minister of Justice and Digital Affairs Liisa Pakosta (Estonia 200) responded to journalists' questions.

Michal stated that he had been in contact with the prime ministers of neighboring countries, particularly with his Finnish counterpart, Petteri Orpo.

When asked whether Estonia should take steps to invoke NATO Article 4 to initiate consultations, the prime minister said that he would speak with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte immediately after the press conference.

Michal noted that the investigation is being led by Finland, as the damaged cable is located in their maritime area.

Land-Based Infrastructure Also Needs Protection

According to Läänemets, ensuring security requires not only the protection and restoration of infrastructure but also a reduction in Russia's shadow fleet, as well as the creation of legal and other means to address such incidents.

"In addition to underwater infrastructure, land-based infrastructure also requires protection," said the Minister of the Interior. He confirmed that the Police and Border Guard Board has a list of critical sites and a plan to secure them.

Pakosta noted that despite the damage to two communication cables between Estonia and Finland, connectivity remains intact due to multiple redundancies. "Disconnecting Estonia from communications is virtually impossible; connections can be maintained via satellites," she said.

Pakosta emphasized the importance of ensuring that those responsible for further cable damage are held accountable. She added that representatives of the Estonian and Finnish prosecutors' offices have been in contact since the day before yesterday and have jointly agreed to toughen laws related to infrastructure violations. "This concerns deterrence; we should not have to prove intent, as the cables are marked on navigation charts," Pakosta explained. "Dropping an anchor immediately affects a vessel's speed and direction. Additionally, penalties should be increased to match those in aviation."

The Minister of Justice and Digital Affairs also stressed the importance of digital security. She added that Estonia should maintain a leading role in updating maritime law. While this won't happen in the coming months, the first steps are planned before February. "Infrastructure protection needs to be more clearly and comprehensively codified," Pakosta affirmed.

Prime Minister Michal said that Finland has detained the ship suspected in the cable damage incident, and an investigation is ongoing. He suggested that countries should collaborate more actively in protecting critical infrastructure, with Estonia's Navy working more closely with allies in the future. "Over half of Russia's funding comes from its shadow fleet, and naturally, Russia does not like us highlighting this," said Michal. "Estonia has actively monitored the documents of the shadow fleet, and just minutes ago, we received a statement of support for our actions from the European Commission."

The Question Is What Europe Will Do

Läänemets noted that in modern times, it doesn't matter whether an attack is military or hybrid—it is an attack regardless. "Russia aims to weaken as many of Ukraine's allies as possible, and it’s hard to call three cable incidents in one year a coincidence," said the interior minister. "The infrastructure will be restored, and investigations are underway, but the most important goal is to prevent such incidents in the future."

When asked how long Finland can hold a fully loaded ship and whether NATO fleet assistance has been requested, Michal replied, "Our desire is to receive reinforcements from NATO’s fleet to deter such actions."

Läänemets added that Finland would hold the ship as long as necessary to complete the investigation.

The interior minister also noted that if deliberate attacks in the Baltic Sea become routine, they could lead to consequences for international maritime law comparable to those caused by migration attacks a few years ago. "If this is another human-caused incident, the question is no longer what Estonia and Finland will do, but what Europe will do," Läänemets stated.

"The suspect vessel is part of Russia's shadow fleet, which threatens security and the environment while financing Russia’s war budget. We propose additional measures, including sanctions against this fleet," said the European Commission and the EU's High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Kaja Kallas, in a joint statement.

At 12:26 PM the day before yesterday, the Estonia-Finland EstLink 2 direct current connection shut down due to a fault. Later that evening, Elisa Eesti AS and CITIC Telecom CPC reported disruptions in submarine communication cables between Estonia and Finland. The faults involve three different communication cables.

The primary suspect in the electrical and communication cable damage is the oil tanker Eagle S, sailing under the Cook Islands flag and transporting oil from Russia. Finland has taken advantage of the vessel's entry into its waters, escorting it to its coast. As of yesterday, Finland had not yet contacted Russia regarding the incident.

The Finnish police have launched a criminal investigation into gross vandalism and have imposed a no-fly zone over the area.