Destroyed Baltic Sea cable Anchor drag mark and spy device expose Putin's tanker
A kilometre-long drag mark on the seabed, damage to the anchor and the alleged discovery of espionage equipment on board: the crew of the Russian tanker Eagle S is in need of an explanation.
31.12.2024, 19:39
31.12.2024, 21:11
SDA
Following the damage to the Estlink 2 submarine power cable in the Baltic Sea, the police in Finland have published photos of the hull of a suspicious oil tanker.
The underwater images show damage to the hull of the Eagle S, which police say was caused by the anchor chain, which is said to have left a kilometer-long drag mark on the seabed.
The marks could be a further indication that the damage to the power cable was caused by the ship's anchor. Such drag marks were discovered on the seabed. The Eagle S is currently anchored east of Helsinki.
The power cable between Finland and Estonia was damaged on Christmas Day. The Finnish authorities suspect sabotage and detained the oil tanker, which flies the Cook Islands flag and, according to the EU, is part of Russia's shadow fleet.
Travel ban for seven crew members
According to the police, the investigation is ongoing. The crew were also questioned yesterday, Monday, and cooperated, it was reported. Seven crew members who are considered suspects have also been banned from traveling. The aim is to obtain a comprehensive picture of what happened on board.
According to the police statement, there is suspicion of serious damage to property and serious disruption to the communications infrastructure. Investigators hope to obtain further information by analyzing devices with data on the ship's course, which were confiscated.
The underwater investigation was temporarily interrupted due to difficult weather conditions, but could be resumed today. The investigations are being carried out in the vicinity of the drag marks on the seabed.
Allegedly spy equipment on board
The newspaper "Helsingin Sanomat" had previously reported that the tanker's operating company had instructed a Finnish lawyer to apply for the release of the ship in court.
The Finnish safety authority announced that it would subject the ship to a thorough inspection for possible defects. In case of doubt, the tanker could be detained until any defects have been rectified, the Finnish news agency STT reported, citing the authority Traficom.
As the specialist publication "Lloyd's List" and other media reported, espionage equipment was also discovered on board the ship in question. This involved high-tech equipment for transmitting and receiving, which had no place on a normal merchant ship.
Their high power consumption had regularly led to failures. The devices were used to intercept radio traffic, the report continues. In addition, one person on board was not a sailor
