Germany described the suspected sabotage of an undersea power cable linking Finland and Estonia this week as a “wake-up call” for the European Union, urging new sanctions against Russia’s “shadow fleet.”
The Estlink 2 cable, which transmits electricity between Finland and Estonia, was cut on Wednesday, just over a month after two telecommunications cables were damaged in Swedish waters in the Baltic Sea.
German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock emphasized that such incidents were becoming frequent, saying, “Almost every month, ships are damaging major undersea cables in the Baltic Sea.” She pointed out the unusual activity of ships dragging anchors across the seafloor, often causing significant damage, and questioned the likelihood of these incidents being mere accidents.
“This is an urgent wake-up call for all of us,” Baerbock declared.
She called for the EU to impose new sanctions on Russia’s “shadow fleet,” which includes vessels transporting Russian crude and oil products despite international sanctions imposed following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Baerbock described the fleet as a “major threat” to both environmental security and global stability, as it aids in financing Russia’s ongoing military actions.
In response to the incident, Finnish authorities announced they were investigating the oil tanker Eagle S, which departed from a Russian port, in connection with the suspected sabotage.
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte confirmed on Friday that the alliance would strengthen its military presence in the Baltic Sea following the incident.
