Brussels (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – EU diplomat Kaja Kallas warned of Moscow’s “ghost fleet” threatening Europe’s infrastructure and vowed stronger measures against sabotage.
EU chief diplomat Kaja Kallas has once again warned against Moscow’s “ghost fleet” and has vowed to take more stringent measures following fears of sabotage to an underwater cable between Finland and Estonia.
The European Union intends to
“take stronger measures to counter the threats posed by these vessels,”
Stated Kaja Kallas, the Foreign Policy Chief.
As reported by Die Welt, Kallas said
“The Russian ‘ghost fleet’ threatens the environment and funds Russia’s war budget.”
She added that the vessels are suspected of committing acts of sabotage.
Further, Kallas said that acts of sabotage in Europe have grown since Russia invaded Ukraine in early 2022. “The recent sabotage endeavours in the Baltic Sea are not isolated incidents; they form a deliberate pattern desired at damaging our digital and energy infrastructure.”
Why is the Eagle S tanker under investigation in Finland?
Following the fracture of an underwater electric line in the Baltic Sea, Finnish investigators have found kilometres of trails on the seabed. Fear has fallen on the oil tanker Eagle S, which allegedly pulled its anchor for kilometres, hurting the cable. The vessel sails under the Cook Islands flag but is considered by the EU to belong to the Kremlin’s so-called ghost fleet utilised to avoid Western sanctions. The Eagle S was immobilised after the infringement of the Estlink 2 underwater electric cable between Estonia and Finland on 25 December. Additional cases have been specified with several transmission cables in the Baltic Sea in recent weeks.
The Eagle S tanker is supposed to pull its anchor along the seabed, potentially harming the cable. Finnish authorities are conducting technical reviews on board and examining the crew. However, the probes are still in their early phases and have been hindered by poor weather.
