The owner of an oil tanker seized by Finland is seeking the release of the ship. The Cook Islands-registered Eagle S was stopped after breaking an undersea power line and damaging four telecoms cables in the Baltic Sea. Finnish customs believes the ship, registered as part of a shadow fleet, is used to evade sanctions on Russian oil sales. The owner claims the vessel was “hijacked” by authorities, with crew members interrogated without legal assistance. Finland says the seizure took place according to law and that crew members’ rights were respected. NATO has announced increased presence in the region following a string of power cable outages since Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022.
Source: https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/owner-seeks-release-oil-tanker-seized-finland-cable-probe-2024-12-30