Two Baltic Sea cables repaired after suspected sabotage

Eagle S (Picture credit: DW)

Two telecom cables connecting Estonia and Finland have been repaired after suspected sabotage, Finnish operator Elisa said.
The authorities in Finland are investigating the suspected sabotage of four telecom cables and one power cable on December 25, just weeks after other cables in the region were severed.
The cables are steel-reinforced with a diameter of just over two centimeters (0.78 inches), with several layers of insulation protecting the fibers within.
Some experts and politicians have said recent actions targeting infrastructure are part of a hybrid war between Russia and Western countries.

Ship suspected of sabotage held in Finland

Investigators suspect an oil tanker named Eagle S, flying the flag of the Cook Islands, of the sabotage.
Eagle S was brought to a bay near Finland’s port of Porvoo where police are currently collecting evidence and questioning the crew, eight of whom were named as suspects in the investigation.
The vessel is accused of being part of Russia’s so-called “shadow fleet,” with which the country has been transporting Russian oil products. Russian oil products are embargoed due to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Elisa security chief Jaakko Wallenius told AFP news agency that the evidence connecting Eagle S to the site of the sabotage are “compelling.”

Work on power cable to take months

Wallenius also told Reuters news agency that the suspicion is that an anchor caused the external force which tore apart the cables.
Estlink 2, the power cable damaged on December 25, has not yet been repaired, with work expected to take several months, according to Finnish operator Fingrid and Elering of Estonia.