Finnish authorities have issued a travel ban on seven crew members of the oil tanker Eagle S as part of an investigation into the damage to the Estlink 2 undersea power cable.
The cable, which connects Finland to Estonia, was severed on December 25, along with four telecommunications lines. Officials suspect the tanker damaged the cable by dragging its anchor along the seabed.
The Eagle S, flagged under the Cook Islands, is anchored near Porvoo’s Kilpilahti oil port.
Finnish investigators, including the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), are conducting underwater probes and interviewing the crew. The Finnish Border Guard confirmed the vessel is missing an anchor, supporting suspicions of its involvement in the incident.
Fingrid, Finland’s power grid operator, has asked a Helsinki court to seize the tanker to secure compensation for damages. The repairs are expected to take months, with the cable set to be operational again by August 2025.
The Eagle S, owned by UAE-based Caravella LLC FZ, was carrying Russian oil to Egypt at the time. Finnish customs suspect it is part of a “shadow fleet” used to evade sanctions on Russian oil. Its cargo has been impounded by Finnish authorities.
This incident adds to a series of infrastructure damages in the Baltic Sea, including Swedish telecom cable disruptions in October. NATO has increased its presence in the region due to rising concerns.
