Poland intercepts Russian sanctions-evading ship near critical Baltic power cable, Tusk says

A Russian vessel under international sanctions made "suspicious" maneuvers near a key undersea power cable connecting Poland and Sweden before being forced to retreat following a military intervention, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said on May 21.

"After the effective intervention of our military, the ship sailed to one of the Russian ports. (Polish survey ship) ORP Heweliusz is sailing to the scene," Tusk wrote on X.

The incident comes a day after the European Union formally adopted its 17th package of sanctions against Russia, aimed at curbing hybrid threats and penalizing vessels involved in circumventing existing restrictions.

The new measures specifically target nearly 200 ships believed to be part of Moscow's so-called "shadow fleet" used to transport oil and other cargo in defiance of Western sanctions.

Recently, a series of incidents severed cables and disrupted signals in the Baltic Sea region. While U.S. and European intelligence officials have suggested some of the damage may have been accidental, some senior officials, argue that repeated disruptions cannot be explained by "poor seamanship" alone.

German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul previously said Germany and its allies were responding to hybrid threats in the Baltic region with increased patrols and renewed pressure on Russia's covert shipping operations.

Calling the fleet a "direct security threat," Wadephul said the European Union will impose fresh sanctions on vessels enabling Russia to bypass restrictions.

"This also helps Ukraine, because the shadow fleet moves oil every day that Russia sells around the sanctions," he added.