Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT) has clarified that the country is not responsible for a Cook Islands-registered vessel carrying Russian oil that was seized by Finnish authorities in the Baltic Sea.
The vessel, named Eagle S, is alleged to have caused damage to seabed power and internet cables running between Finland and Estonia. Finnish officials have accused the ship’s anchor of severing the cables, with investigations underway for potential sabotage.
MFAT emphasised that while the Cook Islands is self-governing, New Zealand assists in foreign affairs but does not manage the Cook Islands’ shipping registry. Finnish authorities are conducting a criminal investigation into the incident and into whether the ship is linked to the “Russian shadow fleet”, an alleged network of vessels used by Moscow to evade international sanctions.
