Estlink cable disruption: Finnish Border Guard detains tanker linked to Russia's 'dark fleet' | Yle News | Yle

An oil tanker that was sailing in the area when the Finland-Estonia electrical link was disrupted on Wednesday has been escorted and boarded by the Finnish Border Guard.

According to global ship tracking website MarineTraffic, the vessel in question, the Eagle S, flying the Cook Islands flag, noticeably slowed down while passing over the cable around the time the transmission was disrupted.

The Finnish Border Guard's patrol vessel Turva escorted the tanker to waters some 20km off Porkkalaniemi, a peninsula on the Gulf of Finland, on Wednesday evening. The ship is now anchored in Finnish territorial waters and a three-kilometre no-fly zone has been imposed in the area.

According to the Finnish Border Guard, the anchors on the Eagle S vessel were not in place, raising suspicions among authorities. Officials said that based on the preliminary investigation, there is reason to believe the vessel's anchor caused the damage.

In a press conference on Thursday afternoon, Prime Minister Petteri Orpo said that Finland will respond decisively to any suspected interference with its undersea infrastructure.

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