German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock is calling for further EU sanctions against the Russian shadow fleet after damage to an underwater power cable near Finland.
Points of attention
- The damaging of the Estlink 2 submarine cable by a Russian ship highlights the ongoing threat posed by the outdated Russian shadow fleet to critical infrastructure in the Baltic Sea region.
- German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock emphasizes the importance of protecting undersea cables, which are vital communication veins that hold the world together.
- The call for strengthened EU sanctions against the Russian shadow fleet is a response to the frequent incidents of ships damaging important underwater cables, causing disruptions to electricity networks and posing risks to security and the environment.
- The incident involving the Estlink 2 cable emphasizes the need for urgent action to address the aggressive actions of the Russian shadow fleet, which is believed to be used to finance Russia's war in Ukraine, violating international law.
- The current situation serves as a wake-up call for Europeans to prioritize the protection of critical infrastructure and to work towards ensuring the security and stability of undersea communication networks in the region.
Burbock called on the EU to strengthen sanctions against Russia's shadow fleet
She stated this to publications of the Funke media group, including WAZ.
"Ships are now damaging important undersea cables in the Baltic Sea almost every month. Ship crews are dropping anchors into the water, dragging them for miles along the seabed for no apparent reason, and then losing them when they are being raised," Burbock said, adding that she finds it "more than difficult" to believe in chance.

Annalena Burbock
Federal Foreign Minister
According to the Foreign Minister, this should be an “urgent wake-up call” for all Europeans to further protect critical infrastructure. She noted that in the digital world, undersea cables are “the communication veins that hold the world together.”
Burbock stressed that there is every reason to believe that EstLink 2 and other cables damaged the tankers. The diplomat referred to the Finnish police, who believe it is very likely that the ship's anchor got caught in the cables.
The current incident shows once again that the often outdated Russian shadow fleet, to which the ship now detained by Finland belongs, poses a great danger to our environment and our security. Russia is using it to finance its aggressive war in Ukraine, which violates international law.
Breakage of an underwater power line in the Gulf of Finland: what is known
Fingrid, the company that operates the Finnish electricity grid, announced on December 25 that there was a power outage due to a fault in the Estlink 2 submarine cable connecting Finland and Estonia.
Arto Pakhkin, head of the dispatching service of Fingrid, said that the cause of the malfunction is currently being investigated.
The possibility of vandalism cannot be ruled out. However, we are looking into the situation as a whole and will report the cause of the malfunction when it becomes known.
According to Fingrid, the connection via Estlink 2 was interrupted at 12:26 p.m. on Christmas Day.
The Finnish Criminal Police have currently confiscated the tanker Eagle S. A technical investigation will be conducted in the future.
The tanker suspected of damaging the Estlink 2 submarine power cable will be moved to the port of Porvoo today, accompanied by Finnish authorities.
The transportation operation is managed by the Helsinki Police Department with the support of the Border Guard.
A technical investigation will be conducted on the vessel to determine whether the tanker was the cause of the electrical cable damage. Police said the new location is more suitable for conducting investigations.