The Finnish National Prosecution Office announced on Monday that they have filed charges against the captain, first mate, and second mate of the oil tanker “Eagle S,” accusing them of dragging anchor 90 kilometers (56 miles) underwater in the Gulf of Finland in December last year, resulting in the cutting of five submarine cables, causing losses amounting to tens of millions of euros.
According to the prosecution, the Cook Islands-flagged oil tanker damaged the “Estlink 2” submarine power cable connecting Finland and Estonia, as well as four internet communication lines, during the anchor dragging process. The repair costs alone resulted in at least 60 million euros (approximately 70 million dollars) in direct losses. The incident posed a serious threat to Finland’s energy supply and communication security, but service continuity was eventually maintained through alternative connections.
The three individuals are charged with aggravated criminal mischief and aggravated interference with communications, and they are not allowed to leave Finland. The suspects deny the accusations, arguing that the location of the incident was outside Finnish territorial waters, therefore claiming Finland has no jurisdiction.
According to reports from Radio France Internationale and Agence France-Presse, it is widely believed that “Eagle S” belongs to the Russian “shadow fleet” – a fleet of aging vessels mainly used to circumvent Western restrictions on Russian oil exports. The incident occurred on December 25, 2024, and multiple submarine infrastructures in the Baltic Sea have been damaged in recent years. Western security agencies are concerned that this may be one of Russia’s tactics in its “hybrid war” against Europe.
Following the incident, Finland, Sweden, and other countries have intensified monitoring of the Baltic Sea’s submarine infrastructure. Finland and Sweden joined NATO in 2022 after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, prompting NATO to enhance surveillance and defense capabilities in the region.
The registered shipowner of “Eagle S” is Caravella LLC FZ in the United Arab Emirates. The company’s lawyer had previously questioned Helsinki’s authority to intervene in this case. The prosecution stated that the district court will determine if the case falls within the jurisdiction of Finland when necessary.