A Russian fishing vessel with a reported engine breakdown anchored near a critical undersea gas pipeline in the strategic Øresund Strait last week, prompting a swift response from NATO naval forces. 

The incident, which occurred in Swedish waters on Sept. 13, involved the newly built crab boat “Mechanik Stepanov,” according to a report from Estonian newspaper Postimees. The 50-meter vessel experienced a power outage and engine trouble, causing it to drift and anchor just a few hundred meters from a vital European energy pipeline.

Sweden's Coast Guard dispatched a vessel to monitor the situation, while naval assets from Denmark and the United Kingdom, both NATO members, joined the operation. The Danish Navy confirmed its warships, alongside British vessels, were positioned near the Russian boat but offered no further details.

The “Mechanik Stepanov” reportedly requested entry to a Swedish port, but the request was denied. After remaining anchored overnight, the vessel resumed its journey on Sept. 14, shadowed by Swedish authorities due to heightened security concerns. 

While the breakdown wasn’t a threat, the location of the incident raised more security concerns.  The Øresund Strait is a key maritime route hosting pipelines and cables crucial to Europe's energy and communications network. 

This incident follows a similar event in December 2024, when Finnish authorities detained the tanker “Eagle S” after an undersea communication cable was damaged. 

Finnish officials claimed to have found surveillance equipment onboard that could be used to monitor military movements, raising suspicions about the nature of such vessels.