Finnish authorities have charged crew members of the Eagle S oil tanker, suspected of damaging five undersea cables in the Baltic Sea last December.
On Monday, Finland’s deputy prosecutor general’s office filed charges of aggravated sabotage and aggravated interference with telecommunications against the captain and the first and second officers of the Cook Islands–flagged vessel.
Finnish forces boarded and seized the Eagle S on December 26. They released the vessel in February but kept three crew members detained as the investigation continues.
Authorities said the tanker dragged its anchor for about 90 kilometers (56 miles) across the Gulf of Finland, severing the Estlink 2 power cable, which links the electricity grids of Estonia and Finland across the Baltic Sea.
The Eagle S has been identified by Finnish authorities as part of Russia’s shadow fleet of fuel tankers. These are aging ships with unclear ownership, acquired to bypass Western sanctions amid the war in Ukraine.
Meanwhile, the crew, composed of Georgian and Indian nationals whose names have not been disclosed, denied the charges. They also argued that Finland lacks jurisdiction over the case since the incident happened outside its territorial waters.
Prosecutors contend that the damage occurring within Finland’s jurisdiction grants the court authority to proceed.
The crew remains in Finland under travel restrictions while the Helsinki District Court determines the trial date and rules on jurisdiction.
The case follows a series of undersea cable and pipeline disruptions in the Baltic Sea that regional governments suspect are acts of sabotage. In response, NATO has increased maritime surveillance in the area.
