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A Russia-linked tanker, Eagle S, has been detained by Finnish authorities for allegedly damaging undersea power and data cables in the Baltic Sea, connecting Finland to Estonia. The incident is under investigation, and the tanker is suspected to be part of Russia’s shadow fleet, raising concerns over potential sabotage on critical infrastructure. This action highlights the vulnerabilities of undersea cables to external threats and underscores the geopolitical tensions in the region.

A Russian-linked ‘dark fleet’ ship, initially suspected of cutting cables on Christmas Day, was discovered to be equipped with spying equipment. This indicates a dual-purpose mission involving both physical infrastructure disruption and signals intelligence gathering. This ship was boarded in the Baltic Sea and revealed to be a vessel used for both cable cutting and spying, posing a threat to critical infrastructure and international security.

A Chinese commercial vessel, Yi Peng 3, is suspected of intentionally dragging its anchor across the Baltic seabed, severing two critical undersea telecommunications cables between Lithuania, Sweden, Finland, and Germany. Western officials believe that Russia likely orchestrated the incident as an act of sabotage against EU maritime infrastructure. The incident disrupted communications and raised concerns about the vulnerability of undersea cables. The Chinese ship’s actions, involving extended anchor dragging while its transponder was disabled, point to deliberate actions.