Finnish authorities have accused the captain and officers of the Eagle S tanker for cable severance incidents
In the heart of the Baltic Sea region, tensions are running high due to a series of outages affecting power cables, gas pipelines, and telecoms. The latest incident, which took place in December 2024 in the Gulf of Finland, involves the Eagle S oil tanker and has sparked a complex legal dispute between Finnish authorities and the vessel's owner, Caravella LLC FZ.
The Finnish national prosecutor's office has brought charges against the captain, first officer, and second officer of the Cook Islands-registered Eagle S oil tanker. The charges are for aggravated criminal mischief and aggravated interference with communications, following the ship's anchor being dragged for approximately 90km (56 miles) across the seabed, causing damage to five undersea cables. These include the Estlink 2 power cable connecting Finland and Estonia and four internet cables.
Regarding jurisdiction, the defendants deny the charges, arguing that Finland lacks jurisdiction because the cables were damaged outside Finnish territorial waters. Finnish prosecutors, however, maintain the case under Finnish law, with a local court to determine jurisdiction if necessary. The defendants have been barred from leaving Finland since the investigation began.
The impact of the damage is significant. The cable owners have incurred at least €60 million (about 70 million USD) in immediate repair costs, and the disruption posed serious risks to Finland's energy supply and telecommunications, although backup systems prevented outages.
The incident has also raised geopolitical concerns. Finnish authorities view the Eagle S as linked to Russia’s so-called "shadow fleet," which allegedly facilitates evasion of Western sanctions amid the Ukraine conflict. This context underscores the tensions surrounding the incident.
The local court is yet to set a date for hearing the case involving the Eagle S incident. Services were secured via alternative connections to mitigate the effects of the Eagle S disruption. Despite the ongoing legal proceedings, the owner of the Eagle S, Caravella LLC FZ, has previously argued that Helsinki lacks jurisdiction to intervene in the case.
This report is based on reports from Finnish authorities and multiple news sources from August 2025. The outages in the Baltic Sea region are believed to be due to sabotage, although technical malfunctions and accidents are also possibilities. The prosecutors' office did not specify whether the Eagle S is suspected of causing the outages in the Baltic Sea region beyond Finland.
In summary, the Eagle S oil tanker incident in the Gulf of Finland has resulted in significant damages, raised geopolitical concerns, and sparked a legal dispute over jurisdiction. The defendants have denied the charges, while Finnish authorities maintain the case under Finnish law. The local court will determine jurisdiction if necessary, and the defendants remain barred from leaving Finland.
Amidst the geopolitical tensions in the Baltic Sea region, the incident involving the Eagle S oil tanker in the Gulf of Finland has not only resulted in significant damages to undersea cables but also caused a complex legal dispute between Finnish authorities and the vessel's owner, Caravella LLC FZ. This dispute revolves around charges of aggravated criminal mischief and aggravated interference with communications, with the defendants, being the captain, first officer, and second officer of the Cook Islands-registered Eagle S, arguing that Finland lacks jurisdiction.
