Finland has filed charges against the captain, first officer, and second officer of an oil tanker suspected of damaging five undersea cables by dragging its anchor. The Eagle S, a Cook Islands-registered vessel allegedly part of Russia’s “shadow fleet,” was carrying oil from Russia to Finland when it allegedly dragged its anchor for 90km in December 2024.
The incident is one of several suspected hybrid attacks on telecommunications services in the Nordic region, prompting concerns over infrastructure sabotage by Russia. Finnish authorities seized the ship in early December last year and released it in February after lifting a travel ban on the crew.
The damage caused by the cable drag has cost its owners at least €60m in repair costs alone. Prosecutors believe that the ship’s actions fell within Finland’s jurisdiction, despite some arguing that they occurred outside Finnish territorial waters. The case will be decided by the Helsinki district court.
The indictment marks an escalation in investigations into alleged cable-cutting incidents in the region over the last two years. Finland’s unique geographical position makes it vulnerable to such attacks, with its connections relying on undersea cables to Sweden, Estonia, and central Europe.
Source: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/aug/11/finland-accuses-tanker-crew-sabotage-undersea-cables-anchor