Finland charges tanker crew over Baltic cable damage

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00:00So, back in December, we told you about a boat in Russia's Shadow Fleet that was suspected of

00:05sabotaging some Baltic sea cables and infrastructure. Well, Finland just

00:10charged the captain of that boat and its two first officers.

00:16Finnish prosecutors say the Eagle S dragged its anchor for more than 56 miles on Christmas Day

00:24last year, severing five electricity and telecom cables. The damage, nearly $70 million in repair

00:32costs alone, posed a serious risk to the nation's energy supply and communications.

00:39The Eagle S is suspected to be part of Russia's so-called Shadow Fleet. Old tankers use two-ship

00:45oil and, in this case, allegedly gather intelligence. A source close to Finnish authorities told the

00:52telegraph the ship carried portable cases, laptops, and devices to monitor NATO ships and aircraft.

00:59The crew is believed to have kept quiet out of fear of retaliation from the Kremlin.

01:05This isn't the first time undersea infrastructure in the Baltic was hit. Back in 2023, a ship registered

01:12in Hong Kong ruptured a gas pipeline. Weeks later, a Chinese vessel cut Swedish data cables.

01:19Western intelligence agencies say some of these incidents may be accidents caused by poorly

01:25maintained ships, but others could be seen as part of Russian hybrid attacks.

01:31NATO launched Baltic Sentry back in January to protect undersea infrastructure. Frigates,

01:36patrol aircraft, and naval drones are now on watch, with regional leaders pushing for sanctions against

01:42the Shadow Fleet. For more of our unbiased straight fact reporting like this,

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