Sweden said Friday it was sending a military ship to help Finnish investigations into the cutting of a Baltic undersea cable, which Helsinki suspects was sabotaged by a Russian-linked vessel.
Finland’s transport agency said Thursday that it was inspecting the Eagle S, a tanker suspected of being part of Russia’s so-called “shadow fleet.”
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“With their unique expertise, the Swedish armed forces are contributing to helping Finland shed light on what happened,” Sweden’s Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson said in a statement.
Sweden will be sending a submarine rescue vessel to help Finland, a Swedish defense ministry statement said.
“Since the discovery of these cable breaks in the Baltic Sea, we have said that Sweden stands ready to help our neighbors,” said Kristersson.
“The security situation is serious and we want to strengthen security and cooperation with neighbors and allies.”
The Eagle S, flying the Cook Islands flag, is suspected of having damaged the EstLink 2 submarine electricity cable between Finland and Estonia in the Baltic Sea on Dec. 25, putting it out of action.
The cable’s operator, the national energy agency Fingrid, said it had requested that authorities seize the tanker.
The Eagle S was seized and moved under escort to the harbor of Kilpilahti port, 40 kilometers (25 miles) east of the Finnish capital Helsinki, where investigators are inspecting it and questioning its crew of about 20.
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Seven sailors suspected of involvement have been prevented from leaving the country since Tuesday.
Russia’s “ghost fleet” refers to ships that carry Russian crude oil and petroleum products that are embargoed over Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine.
Last Friday, NATO announced it would strengthen its military presence in the Baltic Sea, after similar incidents there since Russia’s 2022 invasion.
Energy and communications infrastructure have been targeted as part of what experts and politicians call Russia’s “hybrid war” with Western countries.
Two telecommunications cables were cut on Nov. 17 and 18 in Swedish territorial waters.
A Chinese-flagged bulk carrier, the Yi Peng 3, which was above the area at the time, is suspected of involvement in that incident.
The European Union has announced enhanced measures to safeguard undersea cables, by improving intelligence-sharing and the use of new detection technology and repair capabilities.
The Baltic is surrounded by a number of NATO member states.
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