Serious Deficiencies Found in Oil Tanker Linked to Baltic Sea Cable Damage

Finland’s public transport agency has discovered serious deficiencies in an oil tanker suspected of damaging undersea cables in the Baltic Sea. The vessel, the Eagle S tanker carrying Russian oil, will not be allowed to operate until repairs have been made. Baltic Sea nations have been on high alert following a series of power cable, telecom link, and gas pipeline outages since Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022. The NATO military alliance has announced plans to increase its presence in the region.

Finnish police seized the Eagle S tanker on Dec. 26 and suspect that the vessel damaged the Finnish-Estonian Estlink 2 power line and four telecoms cables by dragging its anchor across the seabed. During a port state inspection, authorities found 32 errors in the vessel’s condition, including issues with fire safety, navigation equipment, and pump room ventilation. The Director of Maritime Affairs at Finnish Transport and Communications Agency Traficom stated that operating the ship is prohibited until the deficiencies are fixed.

The ship’s owner, Caravella LLC FZ based in the United Arab Emirates, has raised concerns about the handling of the inspector’s findings, stating that they should have been shared with the company and the vessel before being made public. A Finnish court has denied a request for the vessel’s release, and Finnish police have imposed a travel ban on eight crew members as part of the investigation. Finland’s customs service believes the Eagle S is part of a shadow fleet of tankers used to evade sanctions on Russian oil and has impounded its cargo. Moscow has stated that Finland’s seizure of the ship is not a matter for Russia.

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