Russia's shadow fleet under scrutiny after Finnish arrest
According to the authorities in Helsinki, the Eagle S ship, which belongs to the Russian "shadow fleet," was detained by the Finnish border guard. It is suspected of being responsible for the EstLink 2 power cable damage. Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo believes tankers from Russia's "shadow fleet" pose a "threat to all Baltic and EU countries."
Finnish police reported on Thursday that they suspect the Eagle S tanker is related to the damage to the undersea EstLink 2 power cable. Finnish Customs suspects that the ship is part of the so-called Russian shadow fleet. The reason for this suspicion is that the tanker does not have insurance issued by a Western company.
Prime Minister Petteri Orpo announced that the damage to the EstLink 2 power line is "a result of Russia's attack on Ukraine." However, he admitted that it is still too early to directly accuse Russia, although "the shadow fleet sails on its behalf."
According to the Finnish government head, the Russian shadow fleet tankers are a "threat to all Baltic and EU countries, and therefore additional ways to stop it are needed."
- The tankers are funneling money into Russia's treasury and its war fund, he stated, emphasizing that currently, nearly 80 ships comprising the shadow fleet are listed under EU sanctions, but there may be more than 400 similar units.
The Eagle S tanker detained by Finnish authorities has not yet been blacklisted.
Source: PAP, WP
