Mysterious Movements: Russian Tanker Raises Eyebrows Near Undersea Communication Lines

Poland’s military sprang into action after a Russian vessel,part of what’s being dubbed a “shadow fleet,” was spotted behaving suspiciously near an important undersea power cable linking Poland and Sweden. Prime Minister Donald Tusk shared this news on Wednesday, highlighting the unusual proximity of the ship to the 600-megawatt submarine cable that connects Karlshamn in Sweden to Ustka in northern Poland. Thanks to quick military response, the vessel retreated back to Russia.

The ship in question turned out to be the Sun, an Antigua-flagged tanker, as confirmed by Vice Admiral Krzystof Jaworski, who leads Poland’s Maritime Component. the term “shadow fleet” refers to a collection of vessels allegedly used by Russia for circumventing Western sanctions while transporting oil and other goods under murky ownership.

polish Defence Minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz informed reporters that a patrol aircraft was dispatched and successfully deterred the suspicious vessel. He also mentioned that the Polish Navy’s ORP Heweliusz was sent for further investigation.

During a press briefing,Kosiniak-Kamysz emphasized how precarious our current times are and pointed out rising security threats in the Baltic Sea region. He noted that tensions have escalated since Sweden and Finland joined NATO, with incidents involving disruptions or potential sabotage of cables becoming more frequent.

This incident is just one among manny concerning damages inflicted on vital infrastructure like power lines and gas pipelines since russia’s invasion of Ukraine began in february 2022. Fortunately, officials confirmed that the crucial 600-megawatt cable remains operational; as of wednesday morning at 11:30 GMT, it was actively transmitting over 600 megawatts from Poland to Sweden.

Concerns about Russia’s shadow fleet engaging in underwater sabotage are growing. In December 2024, Finnish authorities detained another tanker linked to this fleet—eagle S—on suspicions it had damaged an undersea cable between Finland and Estonia with its anchor.

Just last week, Estonia raised alarms about possible military protection for these shadow vessels from Russia after Estonian forces intercepted a suspicious craft within their waters.

While there has been no comment from the Russian embassy in Warsaw regarding this latest event, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry peskov stated on Wednesday that all necessary measures would be taken by Russia to safeguard its ships operating in Baltic waters.

Swedish Defence Minister Pal Jonson reassured everyone that they’re keeping close tabs on developments while coordinating with allies.He affirmed readiness should any new situations arise.

Kosiniak-Kamysz made it clear: any attack targeting infrastructure within Baltic Sea will elicit a strong reaction from both Poland and NATO allies. An emergency meeting is set for Thursday where Prime Minister Tusk will discuss these pressing issues further.