It’s published
Finnish authorities said Monday they charged the captain and two senior officers of a Russian-related ship that allegedly damaged the submarine cable connecting Finland and Estonia last year.
Finnish prosecutors said in a statement that charges of criminal mischief and worsening interference in communication have been filed against the captain of Eagle oil tanker and first and second officers.
Their names were not made public. The statement said the man denied the allegations.
Authorities said the ship would drag the anchor and damage the Estlink-2 power cable and communications link between Finland and Estonia on December 25th.
The Kremlin previously denied involvement in the damage to the infrastructure that provides power and communication to thousands of Europeans.
The Eagle S is flagged in the Cook Islands, but is described by Finnish customs officials and the European Union’s executive committee as part of the shadow fleet of Russian fuel tankers.
These are obscure ownership aging vessels imposed following a full-scale invasion of Ukraine and acquired to avoid Western sanctions, operating without Western regulatory insurance.
For the West, such incidents are considered part of a widespread obstruction attack in Europe, allegedly linked to Moscow.
Submarine cables and pipelines cross one of Europe’s busiest transport lanes and link the Scandinavian, the Baltic Sea and Central European countries.
They promote trade, energy security and in some cases reduce their dependence on Russia’s energy resources.
A statement on Monday alleges that “Eagle S, who left the Russian UST-Luga with petroleum product cargo, is suspected of dragging five submarine cables in the Gulf of Finland over approximately 90 km and cutting five submarine cables.”
Prosecutors said the cable owner owed at least 60 million euros of repairs.
“The disruption of power transmission and communication cables with extremely high transmission capacity is also suspected of pose a serious risk to energy supply and communications in Finland, but alternative connections can be used to ensure services,” the statement said.
“The defendant believes Finland lacks jurisdiction in this case because the location of the cable damage is outside of Finland’s territory.”
Damage to Estlink 2, which can provide about half of Estonia’s electricity needs in the winter, has raised energy prices in the Baltic countries, but has not disrupt services.
The cable length is approximately 145 km, reaching 90 meters at the deepest point.
Additional sources •AP
