**Additional Damage to Communication Cables Confirmed… Possibility of Sabotage Considered**
**EU High-Level Statement: “Condemnation of All Infrastructure Attacks… Additional Sanctions”**
The Finnish police hold a press conference regarding the damage to the undersea cable
[Source: Reuters Yonhap News. Redistribution and DB prohibited]
(Brussels = Yonhap News) Correspondent Jung Bit-na – On December 26th, local time, major international media such as AP News and Politico reported that Finland is investigating whether Russia’s so-called ‘shadow fleet’ was involved in the incident of damage to the Baltic Sea undersea cable that occurred on Christmas.
Finnish police and the border guard detained the oil tanker ‘Eagle S’, which is suspected of causing damage to the Estlink-2 power cable, and questioned the vessel’s crew. A no-fly zone was declared within a 3km radius of the accident site.
Authorities suspect that this vessel is part of the ‘shadow fleet’ used by Russia to circumvent oil and fuel transport sanctions.
According to Finnish local media, the Eagle S, flying the Cook Islands flag, a territory of New Zealand, rapidly reduced speed near the power cable accident site while carrying 35,000 tons of unleaded gasoline.
It was also confirmed that in addition to the Estlink-2 power cable that suddenly ceased operation the previous day, four other communication cables connecting Finland with Estonia and Germany were also damaged.
While authorities are still in the early stages of investigation, they seem to be considering the possibility of sabotage.
The European Union (EU), through a joint statement by President Ursula von der Leyen and High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Kaja Kallas, described the incident as the latest in a series of ‘suspicious attacks’ targeting key infrastructure.
The statement praised the swift actions of the Finnish authorities in boarding and investigating the suspected vessel and strongly condemned any deliberate destruction of Europe’s key infrastructure.
It further stated that the ship is part of Russia’s shadow fleet that funds the war effort and threatens security and the environment, hinting at additional measures, including sanctions targeting the shadow fleet.
Since the outbreak of the Ukraine war in February 2022, incidents of damage or suspension of power and communication cables and gas pipelines have occurred, raising concerns over the possibility of sabotage in the Baltic Sea.