German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock has raised concerns about Russia’s so-called "shadow fleet" following recent damage to undersea cables across Europe.
"Almost every month, ships are currently damaging important undersea cables in the Baltic Sea," Baerbock told Germany’s Funke media group on Dec. 28. She described suspicious activities by ship crews, including dropping anchors and dragging them along the seabed for kilometers without explanation.
"Ship crews lower anchors into the water, drag them for kilometers across the seabed for no apparent reason, and then lose them when they pull them up," she said.
Baerbock expressed doubt that the string of incidents over recent months could be coincidental. "This is an urgent wake-up call for all of us. In a digitalized world, undersea cables are the communication arteries that hold our world together," she stressed, urging stronger sanctions against Russia and increased investment in national security.
Earlier this week, Finland reported damage to the Estlink 2 undersea power cable connecting Finland and Estonia. Finnish authorities suspect sabotage and detained the oil tanker Eagle S, flagged under the Cook Islands. The European Union has linked the vessel to Russia’s so-called "shadow fleet."
The shadow fleet refers to a network of ships allegedly used by Russia to bypass sanctions, such as those restricting oil sales. "It is used by Russia to finance its illegal war of aggression in Ukraine," Baerbock explained. As of mid-December, over 50 ships from this fleet have faced EU sanctions.
In a related event last month, two fiber-optic cables were severed in the Baltic Sea. Swedish investigators boarded a Chinese vessel as part of their probe into possible sabotage.
Dmytro Basmat
(Updated: )
