Has Russia's Shadow Fleet, Built to Evade Sanctions, Added Sabotage to Its List?

Western officials have long been concerned about Russia's so-called shadow fleet, an assemblage of aged tankers created to covertly carry Russian crude oil around the world.

Since Russia invaded Ukraine, the worry primarily concerned the use of such off-the-books ships to circumvent Western sanctions and generate revenue to fuel the Kremlin's war machine.

But Russia's shadow fleet may now present a more pressing danger to the West.

This week, Finnish commandos boarded an oil tanker that officials suspect had cut through vital underwater cables in the Baltic Sea, including one that carries electricity between Finland and Estonia. The ship, the Eagle S, bears all the hallmarks of vessels belonging to Russia's shadow fleet, officials said, and had embarked from a Russian port shortly before the cables were cut.

If confirmed, it would be the first known instance of a shadow fleet vessel being used to intentionally sabotage critical infrastructure in Europe and, officials and experts said, a clear escalation by Russia in its conflict with the West.

"We know about Russia's shadow fleet operating in our area, and we know Russia is systematically conducting hybrid warfare against its neighboring Nato/EU countries," Mr Lauri Laanemets, Estonia's Interior Minister, said in an e-mail to The New York Times. "It's time to drop the illusions and face it."

On Dec. 27, a number of countries in the region announced the deployment of additional naval and coast guard resources to bolster security. Nato's secretary-general Mark Rutte, responding to requests from the leaders of Finland and Estonia, both member nations, said the Atlantic alliance would "enhance" its military presence in the Baltic Sea.

"Nato stands in solidarity with allies and condemns any attacks on critical infrastructure," Mr. Rutte said in an earlier post on the social platform X.