Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk stated that the vessel belonged to Russia’s so-called "shadow fleet," a term used for tankers operating under opaque ownership to bypass international sanctions, especially those targeting Russian oil exports.
According to Tusk, the Polish military intervened effectively, leading the vessel to return to a Russian port. Defence Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz confirmed that a patrol flight had been dispatched and the Polish navy’s survey vessel, ORP Heweliusz, was sent to the location to inspect the seabed.
Authorities clarified that the incident occurred on Tuesday, not in Polish territorial waters, but above undersea infrastructure owned by Poland’s national power grid operator, PSE. The affected infrastructure is a 600-megawatt power cable that enables cross-border electricity exchange between Poland and Sweden.
Deputy Defence Minister Cezary Tomczyk said that ORP Heweliusz would conduct a seabed inspection to assess any possible damage.
An emergency security meeting, attended by Prime Minister Tusk, is scheduled to take place on Thursday at the Maritime Operations Centre in Gdynia.
The incident comes amid growing concerns over the security of critical infrastructure in the Baltic Sea. In recent months, several incidents involving damage to undersea power cables and pipelines have been reported. In December 2024, Finnish authorities seized a Russian-linked tanker, Eagle S, suspected of damaging a power cable between Finland and Estonia. Moscow denied any involvement.
NATO has increased its presence in the region, launching a mission in January 2025 to protect vital energy and communication infrastructure. Poland had earlier proposed the initiative following sabotage concerns.
Estonia recently warned that Russia might defend its shadow fleet using military force, following the interception of a suspicious vessel in Estonian waters. On Wednesday, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov reiterated that Russia would protect its ships in the Baltic Sea by "all means available."
