New Russian shadow fleet ship spotted near undersea cable in Gulf of Finland
In the Gulf of Finland, ships from Russia's shadow fleet have been steadily present near the Estonian-Finnish undersea power cable EstLink 2. According to ship tracking site Vesselfinder, one such ship, the oil tanker Line, has been traveling in circles around the site of the cable on Sunday.
Finnish paper Helsingin Sanomat reported (link in Finnish) that the Line has been circling near the EstLink 2 since mid-December.
According to Vesselfinder data, the ship departed for the Russian port of Ust-Luga on Christmas Day, but returned to the area near the cable on Saturday.
On Sunday, the ship has once again been circling around the site of the EstLink 2 cable.
The Gulf of Finland Coast Guard District of the Finnish Border Guard confirmed to Helsingin Sanomat that they are aware of the vessel and have been in contact with its crew.
According to the coast guard, the ship's crew reported that the vessel was moving with the wind, and that it was awaiting permission to refuel at Russian ports. Several other ships are similarly awaiting permission to refuel.
The authority suspects that the grip of the Line's anchor isn't strong enough to keep the tanker stationary in current strong winds, causing it to drift.
The Gulf of Finland Coast Guard District confirmed that this tanker is not involved in the damage caused to EstLink 2 on Christmas Day, which is believed to have been caused by the vessel Eagle S.
Also located near the Line is the Finnish Border Guard ship Turva, but according to the coast guard, its proximity is unrelated to the location of the Line or other possible shadow fleet vessels; rather, it is investigating the damage done to the cable damage caused by the Eagle S.
Mikko Hirvi, deputy commander of the Gulf of Finland Coast Guard District, stated that the Line does not appear to pose any particular environmental risk.
@Merivartiosto on tietoinen Suomenlahdella liikkuvan M/T Line 'n liikkeistä.
— Mikko Hirvi (@HirviMikko) December 29, 2024
Alusta on seurattu pitkään ja siihen on myös oltu yhteydessä. Tällä hetkellä aluksen ei nähdä aiheuttavan erityistä ympäristövahingon riskiä tai liittyvän aikaisempiin Suomenlahden tapahtumiin.
The 250-meter-long oil tanker Line sails under the flag of Guinea-Bissau, and in recent months has been traveling between Turkey and Russia. It is considered a vessel of the shadow fleet because it is an oil tanker and is included on the EU's sanctions list against Russia.
Due to these sanctions, EU businesses are prohibited from providing services including insurance to these ships. They are likewise banned from docking at ports in EU countries.
The shadow fleet refers to ships that Russia uses to circumvent the crude oil price cap. These vessels enable Russia to export oil at world prices exceeding the price cap imposed on Russian crude oil by the West.
Other vessels belonging to Russia's shadow fleet can also be found operating in the vicinity of the EstLink 2. For instance, the Barbadian-flagged oil tanker Life, which is also on the EU sanctions list and has been traveling between India and Russia over the past three months, arrived near the site of the cable over Christmas.
The Eagle S, which is suspected of damaging the EstLink 2 and has been seized by Finnish police, is not currently on the EU sanctions list.
As of this summer, Russia's shadow fleet was estimated to consist of around 400 ships.
Russia established its shadow fleet network shortly after the West imposed sanctions on Moscow in 2022 due to Russia's full-scale war in Ukraine.
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Editor: Merili Nael, Aili Vahtla
