Finnish tugboat Ukko is seen near Oil tanker Eagle S outside the Porkkalanniemi, Kirkkonummi, on the Gulf of Finland on December 28, 2024, Jussi Nukari/Lehtikuva/via REUTERS
Finnish maritime authorities have detained the tanker Eagle S following a port state control inspection that revealed numerous serious safety deficiencies.
The vessel, identified as part of Russia’s sanctions-evading shadow fleet, is suspected of damaging the Estlink2 undersea cable on Christmas Day.
Inspectors from the Finnish Transport and Communications Agency (Traficom) discovered 32 deficiencies during their inspection, with three severe enough to warrant the ship’s detention. The critical issues involved fire safety systems, navigation equipment, and pump room ventilation.
“Traficom has detained the ship Eagle S based on observations made during port state control. The deficiencies detected are of a nature that operating the ship is forbidden until the deficiencies have been rectified. Rectifying the deficiencies will require external assistance for repairs and will take time,” stated Sanna Sonninen, Director-General of Maritime Sector at Traficom.
The detention comes after authorities recently recovered an anchor from the Gulf of Finland suspected to belong to the Russian tanker. Officials suspect the ship may have intentionally dragged its anchor over the Estlink2 cable in an act of sabotage.
The investigation into the incident is being led by the Helsinki Police Department, with Finland’s National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) conducting the criminal investigation.
Beyond the immediate safety concerns, inspectors noted significant shortcomings in the vessel’s safety management system implementation, a problem previously identified in earlier inspections. Additional deficiencies were found in crew accommodation, electrical installation safety, and general maintenance.
Russia has used a so-called “shadow fleet” of aging ships to circumvent the G7 price cap on Russian oil, which was implemented following Russia’s February 2022 invasion of Ukraine. This fleet, estimated to number in the hundreds, typically operates under questionable flags and ownership structures while lacking industry-standard insurance, raising concern of maritime accidents.
The incident adds to a growing pattern of suspicious damage to underwater infrastructure in the Baltic Sea since 2022. In response, Baltic nations have heightened their alert status, and NATO has announced plans to increase its regional presence.
“Before the ship can continue its voyage, Traficom must review that the deficiencies leading to the detention have been rectified or a rectification plan has been made by the flag State to remedy the deficiencies,” says Sonninen.
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