The Helsinki District Court has denied the release of the oil tanker Eagle S, maintaining its confiscation amid investigations into the vessel’s suspected role in damaging undersea cables and a power line in the Baltic Sea. The Finnish National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) is conducting an inquiry into the incident, categorizing the damage as potential aggravated arson and interference with telecommunications. The probe also encompasses purported sanctions violations linked to the Russian oil cargo on board the tanker, as reported by the Finnish police.
On Christmas Day, the Eagle S is believed to have caused damage to the Estlink 2 power cable and four telecommunications cables in the Gulf of Finland. Companies such as Fingrid, Elisa, and Elering have submitted requests for the ship’s seizure to pursue compensation claims, with Fingrid estimating the damage in the tens of millions of euros. Despite the ship’s legal representative, Herman Ljungberg, arguing that the seizure is a violation of international law, the court has opted to keep the proceedings confidential. His argument largely rests on the notion that the seizure constitutes an unlawful act under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), especially as it allegedly occurred in international waters, according to MTV Uutiset.
Ljungberg also highlighted the financial impact of the decision, noting that Eagle S’s daily charter cost is approximately $56,000. He contended that should the seizure be deemed unwarranted, the applicants would be responsible for these costs. As the investigation nears completion, the NBI, in association with international forces and agencies such as the Cook Islands and Sweden, is collaborating with the Finnish Defence Forces and the Border Guard in collecting forensic evidence and repairing the cables. Further information on the ongoing investigation can be found in the NBI’s statement.