Repairs to the damaged subsea telecommunications and power cables in the Gulf of Finland, disrupted on Christmas Day, have yet to commence.
Finnish authorities and companies responsible for the cables — Elisa, Cinia, Citic Telecom, and Fingrid — confirmed that efforts are underway to start repairs as soon as possible.
The repair of a single telecommunications cable could cost hundreds of thousands of euros, according to Cinia.
The restoration of the Estlink 2 power transmission cable, however, is estimated to take up to seven months and cost tens of millions of euros, Fingrid reported.
Shadow fleet under scrutiny
Elisabeth Braw, a senior fellow at the Atlantic Council, has studied Russia's shadow fleet extensively.
In an interview with The New York Times, Braw suggested that the sheer size of this fleet makes it a tempting tool for Russia to employ in acts of sabotage.
"I think at some point that Russia realised, 'Oh, we have all these vessels that we’re using; we might as well use a few of them to cause a little extra harm,'" Braw said.
Russia's "dark", or "shadow," fleet is a network of vessels developed to circumvent international sanctions targeting its energy sector. While similar strategies have been employed by countries like Iran and North Korea, Russia's shadow fleet is unprecedented in scale, comprising 17 percent of the world's oil tankers.
A recent report from the Kyiv School of Economics revealed that nearly 70 percent of Russian oil is now transported via the dark fleet. According to Braw, the fleet's unchecked growth is troubling.
"That makes it like a tumor. When it was a small share, it could be managed, but now that it’s approaching 20 percent [of worldwide oil tankers], it’s much less manageable, and obviously it’s growing," Braw said.
Investigations on Eagle S continue
Authorities resumed their investigation aboard the Eagle S oil tanker, which is suspected of causing the cable damage. Helsinki Police Superintendent Jere Roimu stated that both tactical and technical examinations are ongoing, including continued questioning of the crew.
However, he declined to comment on whether the crew remains aboard the vessel.
The Eagle S was relocated to a secure anchorage at Svartbäck, near the Kilpilahti port in Porvoo, to facilitate these investigations. Work aboard the tanker had been suspended during its transfer.
Social media fuels speculation on tanker activity
Recent events have sparked significant interest and speculation on social media regarding ship movements in the Gulf of Finland.
Several users highlighted the erratic movements of tankers departing from Russian ports and lingering between Finland and Estonia without apparent destinations.
The Finnish Coast Guard, however, reassured the public that such movements are routine. Field Commander Marko Vihlman explained that some vessels remain in transit due to limited harbour capacity or challenging weather conditions.
"Not all ships fit into ports and sometimes they have to wait. Now the forecast for the evening is for quite strong winds. Some ships prefer to wait in open waters to avoid anchoring during strong winds," he said.
The Coast Guard confirmed that all vessels in the area are under surveillance, and contact is made when necessary, particularly if a ship approaches Finnish borders or reports technical issues.
Vihlman emphasised that this is standard procedure.
Gulf of Finland Coast Guard Deputy Commander Mikko Hirvi addressed specific speculation regarding a Guinea-Bissau-flagged tanker. The M/T Line recently departed a Russian port and was reported to be lingering between Finland and Estonia.
Hirvi stated on the social media platform X ,formerly Twitter, that the ship is awaiting clearance to dock for loading. The vessel poses no environmental risk or connection to the recent cable incidents, according to the Coast Guard.