The captain of the tanker Eagle S, registered in the Cook Islands and part of the so-called “shadow fleet” of Russia, was charged with criminal damage charges by the Deputy Prosecutor General of Finland.
The vessel left the Russian port of Ust-Luga with a cargo of petroleum products and allegedly damaged five underwater cables in the Gulf of Finland while dragging its anchor along the seabed for about 90 kilometers.
During the initial inquiry, the defendants denied any involvement in the alleged misconduct. They also argued that Finland lacked jurisdiction in the matter, as the locations of the cable damage were situated outside Finnish territorial waters.
Eagle S was detained by the Finnish police in winter after damage to the EstLink 2 cable linking Estonia and Finland.
