Finnish authorities have located and retrieved an anchor suspected of being dragged along the Baltic Sea floor by the Eagle S, an alleged Russian spy ship, after a series of submarine cable breaks on Christmas Day. The discovery was announced as the Finnish telecommunications company Cinia submitted a court application to seize the ship for compensation over the break.
Cinia operates the C-Lion1 submarine cable, one of those damaged in the incidents. Police credited Finland’s Defence Forces and the Swedish Navy with their assistance in retrieving the anchor from the seabed near the Porkkala Peninsula. A technical examination of the anchor is now underway.
The Eagle S has been seized and transferred to an oil port in Porvoo, east of Helsinki, while investigators continue to analyze devices from the ship and question its crew on suspicion of aggravated criminal mischief. The incident follows another damage claim by Cinia, with the company seeking compensation for damage caused by the same vessel.
The Eagle S was previously suspected of carrying “abnormal” equipment used to monitor NATO communications and drop sensors in the English Channel. The incident highlights the vulnerability of subsea cables to sabotage and accidental cuts. An international advisory body has been created to protect submarine cables following a series of incidents, including the recent damage claim by Cinia.
Source: https://therecord.media/finland-russia-spy-ship-anchor