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A Russian-linked 'dark fleet' ship, the Eagle S, initially suspected of severing undersea cables between Finland and Estonia on Christmas Day, has been found to be equipped with advanced spying technology. This revelation suggests a dual-purpose operation, combining physical infrastructure damage with signals intelligence gathering. The ship, part of a fleet known for circumventing sanctions, was boarded in the Baltic Sea by Finnish authorities, who discovered equipment for intercepting and recording signals intelligence, including monitoring NATO naval and aircraft frequencies.

The spying equipment, described as abnormal for a merchant vessel, was reportedly so power-hungry it caused repeated blackouts on board. Sources indicate the gear was operated by a mix of Russian, Turkish, and Indian personnel. This discovery, coupled with the suspected cable cutting, raises serious concerns about the security of critical infrastructure and the potential for hostile intelligence activities. NATO chief Mark Rutte has assured Finland and Estonia of added military support following these incidents.

ImgSrc: cdn.mos.cms.fut

References :

• Randahl Fink: Finland has seized Putin's tanker which is suspected of cutting an undersea cable, and it turns out the ship is loaded with spy equipment meant for spying on NATO vessels and more.
• Hacker News: Cable-cutting tanker seized by Finland 'was loaded with spying equipment'
• www.lloydslist.com: Cable-cutting tanker seized by Finland 'was loaded with spying equipment'
• www.breitbart.com: Russian 'Dark Fleet' Cable-Cutter Ship Boarded in Baltic Loaded With Spying Equipment: Report
• Breitbart News: Russian 'Dark Fleet' Cable-Cutter Ship Boarded in Baltic Loaded With Spying Equipment: Report
• NPR Topics: World: NPR report on a Russian ship suspected of cutting cables between Finland and Estonia.
• bsky.app: The russian tanker Eagle S (IMO: 9329760) that was boarded by Finnish law enforcement officers had spy equipment on board.
• www.tomshardware.com: Finnish investigators discover anchor drag marks of “almost a hundred kilometers” in undersea cable damage case — anchor is allegedly missing from detained tanker

Classification:

• HashTags: #Russia #CyberWarfare #Espionage
• Company: Russian Dark Fleet
• Target: Baltic Sea Infrastructure
• Attacker: Russia
• Product: dark fleet ship
• Feature: cable cutting, spying
• Type: Espionage
• Severity: Major