Finland has charged the captain and first and second officers of the Eagle S, a Russian shadow fleet vessel.
The charges include aggravated vandalism and aggravated interference with telecommunications but also include alternative criminal charges, Yle reported.
The Eagle S, which left Russia with a cargo of petroleum products, is suspected of severing five undersea cables in the Gulf of Finland by dragging its anchor along the seabed for about 90 kilometers during the Christmas holidays in 2024.
The Eagle S is part of Russia’s so-called shadow fleet, whose ships sail under foreign flags and circumvent sanctions imposed on Russia.
During the preliminary investigation, the defendants denied committing the crimes.
They also maintain that Finland lacks jurisdiction in this case, as the locations where the cable damage occurred lie beyond Finnish territorial waters.
In early May, the police suspected nine people of committing aggravated crimes. Later, the number of suspects was reduced to three.
In June, the Finnish police and prosecutor’s office announced the completion of a criminal investigation into the tanker Eagle S, which is suspected of damaging underwater cables in the Baltic Sea in December 2024.
The Baltic Sea region is on high alert for sabotage after a series of accidents on power lines, gas pipelines, and telecommunications networks.
