Russia's shadow fleet of oil tankers may be used for sabotage

In December 2024, Finnish authorities took significant action against a tanker named Eagle S, which is believed to have dragged its anchor along the seafloor, resulting in damage to an undersea power line and four telecom cables in the Baltic Sea. This incident follows a series of outages affecting vital infrastructure in the region, occurring since Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022. In response to the rising tensions and concerns regarding Russian activities in the area, NATO announced an increase in its military presence in the Baltic Sea, as reported by Secretary-General Mark Rutte after discussions with Finnish President Alexander Stubb. Following the seizure of the Eagle S, officials suggested the vessel is part of a larger “shadow fleet” operated by Russia to avoid sanctions imposed on its oil shipments. The implications of this incident are grave, as the possible sabotage of infrastructure may indicate a dangerous shift in the strategies employed by Russian authorities, particularly at a time when Western nations are closely monitoring the Kremlin's actions. Experts believe this could mark the first known instance of a vessel from this shadow fleet being used to deliberately attack critical systems in Europe, intensifying scrutiny over Russia’s maneuvers in the region and escalating the ongoing conflict between Russia and the West.