Two underwater cables between Finland and Estonia, damaged in what is suspected to be an act of sabotage, have been repaired, confirmed Elisa operator to AFP.
The Finnish police, who launched an investigation into “serious sabotage” on December 26 after four telecom cables and one electrical cable (Estlink-2) were damaged, suspect that the damage was caused by the oil tanker Eagle S. This tanker, believed to be part of Russia’s so-called “ghost fleet,” was thought to have dragged its anchor along the seafloor.
The Eagle S, registered under the flag of the Pacific island country of the Cook Islands, was detained near Helsinki, and the crew has been prohibited from leaving Finland.
The Estlink-2 cable, which transmits electricity from Finland to Estonia through the Baltic Sea, remains unrepaired. One of the damaged data cables, between Finland and Germany, is expected to be fixed by January 10, according to the operator Sinija.
There is no update yet regarding the repair of the damaged data cable between Helsinki and Tallinn.
Experts and political leaders note that attacks on energy and telecommunications infrastructure are part of Russia’s “hybrid war” against Western countries in the vast maritime area bounded by several NATO members, where Moscow also has entry points.
In November, two telecommunications cables were also damaged in Swedish territorial waters. The vessel Ji Peng 3, flying the Chinese flag, was in the area at the time of the cable damage.
The European Union has announced measures to protect underwater cables, including improving information exchange, applying new detection technologies, and international cooperation.
