Mysterious tanker 'Mulan' raises alarms off Norwegian coast
The Norwegian coast guard is monitoring the "strange behaviour" of the Panama-registered tanker "Mulan", reported Norwegian press on Saturday. Beneath the North Sea, where the vessel has been stationed for several days, lie cables and gas pipelines connecting Denmark, Norway, and the United Kingdom.
Official data indicates that "Mulan" is en route from Ura Bay on the Russian Kola Peninsula, where the Russian Northern Fleet base is located, to Egypt. However, since 26 December, it has not left the North Sea and the Skagerrak Strait.
The ship's captain initially explained that he was waiting for better weather. Since then, according to satellite positions, the ship has been zigzagging above the undersea pipelines and cables connecting Norway, the United Kingdom, and Denmark. On Saturday, it was once again near Stavanger.
There are many pipelines and energy and fibre-optic connections in the North Sea. We have increased vigilance regarding the actions of ships, sharing our data with the Norwegian Armed Forces, the police, and other relevant services,
stated Arve Dimmen from the Norwegian border guard to the "Dagbladet" newspaper.
The Panama-registered "Mulan" remains outside Norway's territorial waters and is constantly monitored by border guards. The operational command of the Norwegian Armed Forces confirmed that naval ships and aircraft would continue monitoring the suspicious vessel until it significantly distances itself from the Norwegian coast.
Finns detained a Russian tanker
Recently, a Russian tanker was detained by the Finns. It involves the ship Eagle S, which belongs to the "shadow fleet" and was reportedly transporting espionage equipment. The vessel was said to have damaged a cable in the Gulf of Finland.
According to "Lloyd's List," the ship was equipped with gear for spying on NATO ships and aircraft. This information comes from an anonymous source who worked on the ship during the summer.
