Finland has issued charges against the crew of the tanker for the damage to cables

• Finnish prosecutors have issued charges against the crew of the tanker Eagle S.
• The damage from the cable damage is estimated at 60 million euros.
• The court is linked to the Russian "shadow fleet".

The Finnish authorities announced the issuance of charges against the captain and two senior officers of the tanker Eagle S, which is believed to have damaged five underwater cables between Finland and Estonia. This happened in June 2024, when the court, which was examining the case against Russia, was towing a vessel along the seabed about 90 km away.

The charges include serious violations and malicious interference in communications. The cable owners reported losses amounting to 60 million euros due to the damage. Although the incident did not lead to a power outage in the electricity supply, it raised prices for energy in the Baltic states.

Finnish prosecutors noted that the court relates to the so-called "shadow fleet" of Russia, which uses foreign ships to evade sanctions. The captain and crew deny their involvement and assert that Finland has no jurisdiction in this matter, as the damage occurred outside territorial waters of the states involved.

The case has been transferred to the Helsinki District Court for further consideration, and the suspects have been banned from leaving Finland during the investigation.

Tags: Europe/Crime