Cook Islands registered oil tanker Eagle S anchored near the Kilpilahti port in Porvoo, Finland on the Gulf of Finland on January 26, 2025. Photo: Heikki Saukkomaa / Lehtikuva
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The Finnish government plans to allocate more than five million euros in additional funding to cover costs stemming from damage to critical subsea infrastructure in the Baltic Sea late last year.
According to the Ministry of Finance’s second supplementary budget proposal, the Border Guard will receive nearly 4.4 million euros to support operations aimed at protecting vital undersea assets. These include increased surveillance and response efforts related to Finland’s maritime infrastructure.
The Finnish police will receive approximately 700,000 euros to cover investigative costs linked to damage inflicted on the Estlink 2 electricity cable, which connects Finland to Estonia. The damage occurred during the Christmas period in 2024.
The Estlink 2 incident coincided with damage to four separate subsea telecommunications cables on 26 December. Finnish authorities believe that the anchor of the Eagle S, a Cook Islands-flagged oil tanker, was responsible for the disruption to Estlink 2. The vessel is suspected of belonging to Russia’s so-called “shadow fleet”, a group of tankers operating outside Western sanctions enforcement.
The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) handled the case as suspected aggravated vandalism and aggravated interference with telecommunications. While the Eagle S was detained for a period, it was released in early March without charges being filed.
The events sparked renewed attention on the vulnerability of undersea infrastructure and the potential for deliberate interference in the Baltic region. Finnish officials have stated that protecting cable networks and other critical systems is a growing national security concern.
The government is expected to finalise the supplemental funding decisions on 27 May.
HT
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Source: www.helsinkitimes.fi
