Finnish Border Guard's ship Turva and oil tanker Eagle S sail on the sea outside the Porkkalanniemi, Finland on December 26, 2024. RAJAVARTIOSTO-Finni

A Timeline of Suspected Baltic Sea Sabotage Incidents

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2025-01-04 22:00:12

Finnish Border Guard's ship Turva and oil tanker Eagle S sail on the sea outside the Porkkalanniemi, Finland on December 26, 2024. RAJAVARTIOSTO-Finnish Border Guard/LEHTIKUVA/HANDOUT via REUTERS

HELSINKI, Jan 3 (Reuters) – A Finnish court has denied a request for the release of an oil tanker suspected by police of damaging an undersea power line and four telecommunications cables in the Baltic Sea last month.

The incident was one of several since 2022 in which underwater critical infrastructure in the Baltic Sea has suffered suspicious damage. Baltic Sea nations are on high alert and NATO has said it will boost its presence in the Baltic Sea.

Finland launched a sabotage investigation and on Dec. 26 seized a tanker carrying Russian oil on suspicion it caused the damage by dragging its anchor.

Finnish authorities said the Cook Islands-registered Eagle S was part of a “shadow fleet” used to circumvent sanctions on Russian oil exports. The European Union said it condemns any deliberate destruction of Europe’s infrastructure.