“The hi-tech equipment on board was abnormal for a merchant ship and consumed more power from the ship’s generator, leading to repeated blackouts”
Eagle S dragged its anchor across Estlink 2 on Christmas Day, and three other cables were damaged too. The 20-year-old tanker flies the Cook Islands flag and belongs to a cluster of 26 Russia-linked ships with opaque owners. Listening gear came aboard in “huge portable suitcases” with laptops. The dark fleet carries sanctioned oil, and it also carries the antennas.