Mysterious trace on the seabed: cable damage discovered in the Baltic Sea!

After an underwater power line failed in the Baltic Sea, Finnish investigators discovered a suspicious drag mark on the seabed. This drag mark, which is dozens of kilometers long, raises suspicions that the Cook Islands-flagged oil tanker Eagle S dragged its anchor on the ground to damage the cable. The ship is part of the so-called Russian shadow fleet, which consists of tankers and cargo ships aimed at evading sanctions on oil transport.

The investigators are carrying out technical examinations on board the “Eagle S” and questioning the crew. However, the poor weather conditions at sea make the investigation difficult. An exact location where the anchor came loose has not yet been located. The broken Estlink2 power link between Finland and Estonia failed on Christmas, coinciding with disruptions to several communications cables in the Baltic Sea, such as the South German newspaper reported.

Russian oil trade and shadow fleet

In parallel to the investigations in the Baltic Sea region, ZDF reports on Russia, which continues to trade in Russian crude oil and petroleum products despite an oil embargo. In August 2023, a ZDF team observed several tankers head-on in the Gulf of Finland that were waiting to enter Russian ports within sight of the Estonian coast. These tankers transported sanctioned oil loaded in Russia, particularly at the Russian oil ports of Ust-Luga and Primorsk, where approximately 1.6 million tons of Russian oil were handled between August 1 and 10, 2023.

An Estonian skipper reported an increasing number of ships in these waters, many over 20 years old and rarely inspected for seaworthiness. This lack of inspection increases the risk of shipping accidents and possible oil spills in the Baltic Sea. ZDF also reported on the tanker “Limo”, built in 2000, which is registered in Cameroon and was last inspected in June 2019. The ship is also part of a global shadow fleet that operated before the Russian embargo.

Windward data analysis shows that around 1,100 ships belong to a so-called “dark tanker fleet”, with around 900 ships added since sanctions against Russia began. Russian tankers are also transferring Russian oil to other ships off the coast of Greece, making it difficult to trace the origin. The EU has also announced plans to take tougher action against “ship-to-ship transfers” in European waters. CDU defense politician Roderich Kiesewetter even calls for a kind of Frontex for shadow ships to keep an eye on activities.

These developments underscore ongoing challenges related to Russian oil trade and associated risks to the region's marine environment.