The oil tanker Eagle S is suspected of sabotaging the Estlink-2 submarine electricity cable by dragging its anchor on the seabed on Christmas Day.
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Finnish police say the crew of a Russian-linked oil tanker suspected of damaging an electrical cable under the Baltic Sea has been placed in indefinite detention.
The Eagle S crew consists of 24 people and the Finnish Central Criminal Police has imposed movement restrictions on eight of them.
“During interrogations and investigations, the police tried to find out who was involved in the incident and who was responsible for the trajectory of the vessel during the incident. As a result, the freedom of movement of eight people is currently restricted on the basis of suspicion of crime,” said Commissioner Elina Katajamäki of the National Bureau of Investigation.
“However, this number may change as hearings continue and circumstances become clearer.
The Eagle S is suspected of damaging the Estlink-2 submarine power cable between Finland and Estonia by dragging its anchor on the seabed.
Power outage on Christmas Day
The cable, which carries electricity from Finland to Estonia under the Baltic Sea, broke down on Christmas Day, but the impact on services was minimal, Finland’s power grid operator reported, Fingrid.
Helsinki police boarded and seized the Eagle S and transferred it to the port of Porvoo a day later to conduct an investigation.
The Eagle S flies the flag of the Cook Islands, but it has been described by Finnish customs and EU officials as part of Russia’s ghost fleet of tankers carrying oil and gas in defiance of international sanctions imposed on the aftermath of the war in Ukraine.
These aging ships, whose owners are often obscure, are regularly operated without Western-regulated insurance.
Russia’s use of these vessels has raised environmental concerns about accidents, given their age and uncertain insurance coverage.
In late December, NATO chief Mark Rutte said he had spoken with Finnish President Alexander Stubb and agreed that “NATO will strengthen its military presence in the Baltic Sea.”
Finland, which shares a 1,340-kilometer border with Russia, abandoned its decades-old policy of military neutrality and joined NATO in 2023 in response to Ukraine’s invasion.
In October 2023, in response to similar incidents, NATO and its allies deployed more maritime patrol aircraft, long-range radar aircraft and drones for surveillance and reconnaissance flights, while a fleet of minehunters was also sent to the region.
After a high-level meeting on the incident, Mr Stubb told X that “the situation is under control. We have no reason to be concerned”, adding that the investigation is continuing.
He added that Finland and Estonia had requested additional assistance from NATO.
ADVERTISEMENTSuspicions of sabotage
Countries in the region have been on alert following a series of incidents involving submarine cables and gas pipelines in the Baltic Sea since 2022.
Two data cables – one between Finland and Germany and the other between Lithuania and Sweden – were cut in November.
Germany’s defense minister said authorities must assume it was “sabotage”, but he provided no evidence and did not say who might have been responsible.
The Nord Stream pipelines, which carried natural gas from Russia to Germany, were damaged by underwater explosions in September 2022.
ADVERTISEMENTAuthorities declared it an act of sabotage and opened criminal investigations.
NATO had already strengthened its patrols near underwater infrastructure after the explosion of the Nord Stream gas pipeline.
