For years, Germany has been working to elevate its status within the United Nations. However, Russia has now sent a clear signal that is not in Berlin's favor. Moscow has categorically rejected Germany's request for a permanent seat on the UN Security Council.

Germany has been taking the lead in getting to the bottom of the issue. While the ships in question often operate with unclear ownership and inadequate insurance, it believes the ships are all part of a “dark fleet” Russia maintains to sever and thus disrupt power and telecommunications among the European nations.

Finland said last week it detained a ship that may be from Russia's shadow fleet of oil tankers as part of a probe into a damaged undersea cable.

Elon Musk engages with Alice Weidel, discussing AfD policies and controversial views on Hitler and the Russia-Ukraine conflict.- Watch Video on English Oneindia

On Christmas Day, authorities in Estonia and Finland noted the sudden interruption of the Estlink 2 undersea electricity cable linking their two nations - just as ship tracking data showed the Cook Islands-registered "Eagle S" passing outbound from Russia’s Baltic coast en route to Egypt.

Ukraine's leader says partners sending ground troops would help "force Russia into peace," as America's European allies ponder Trump's next move.

Mystery still surrounds the destruction of the Nord Stream pipelines linking Russia to Germany through the Baltic Sea in the fall of 2022, while an undersea cable linking Sweden to Estonia was damaged in October 2023. A gas pipeline connecting Estonia to Finland was also damaged in the same month, later blamed on a Chinese ship dragging its anchor.

Three men have been charged with spying on U.S. military bases for Russia and plotting attacks on American personnel in retaliation for Western support of Ukraine, German prosecutors said.

German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius announces plan to move 2 Patriot air defense systems, 200 soldiers to Poland within next few weeks for expected 6 months - Anadolu Ajansı

Nearly £3.25bn in US funds earmarked by the Joe Biden administration for Ukraine may not be delivered before Donal Trump returns to the White House

Germany has struggled with rising prices due to the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and Russia's invasion of Ukraine. The German figures come one day before the eurozone will release its December inflation numbers.