US EditionFinnish Prosecutors Demand Jail Time for Captain, Officers of Shadow Tanker
Prosecutors seek 2.5-year prison terms for three crew accused of intentionally severing five cables, causing over €60 million in damages and disrupting Finland's critical infrastructure.
- The trial involving the captain along with two senior crew members of the tanker Eagle S, accused of cutting undersea cables, commenced on August 25 in Helsinki District Court.
- The case concerns the Eagle S dragging its anchor deliberately on December 25, 2024, damaging one power cable and four telecom cables in the Baltic Sea's Gulf of Finland.
- Prosecutors said the tanker slowed near the cables, continued for three hours at reduced speed, and falsely told Finnish authorities its anchor was secured despite technical faults causing the drop.
- Finnish prosecutors seek 2.5 years in prison for captain Davit Vadatchkoria and two officers for aggravated sabotage and interference, while defendants plead not guilty denying charges and rejecting damage claims worth tens of millions of euros.
- The incident worsened regional security concerns, prompting NATO to increase Baltic Sea monitoring and highlighting vulnerabilities in subsea infrastructure amid ongoing geopolitical tensions.
15 Articles
15 Articles
Helsinki Times
einnews.comBlack box offline during cable damage by Russian tanker Eagle S
The voyage data recorder (VDR), or "black box", of the Russian-flagged oil tanker Eagle S was not functioning during the critical period in which the vessel damaged several undersea cables in the Gulf of Finland. According to materials from the National Bureau of Investigation (KRP), made public as part of an ongoing criminal trial, the data recorder failed to capture the moment when the vessel's anchor severed the Estlink 2 electricity cable on…
Experts commented on the Eagle S lawsuit in A-studio on Monday.
Finnish Prosecutors Demand Jail Time for Captain, Officers of Shadow Tanker
The trial for the captain and two senior officers of the shadow fleet tanker Eagle S began on Monday, August 25, in the Helsinki District Court. They are facing charges ranging from aggravated sabotage and aggravated telecommunications interference to lesser charges of vandalism and endangering public safety. The trial stems from the December 25, 2024, damage by the 74,000 dwt tanker Eagle S to the undersea power cable between Finland and Estoni…
On 25 December 2024, the "Eagle S" had been arrested off Helsinki, suspected of having caused the breakdown of five cables in the Baltic Sea. Three of its crew members have been tried since Monday for "aggravated criminal damage".
Suspects Plead Not Guilty to Sabotage in Baltic Sea Cable Breaches
Three crew members of the Eagle S, accused of severing Estlink 2 and several other cables, appeared in court in Helsinki on Monday. The prosecution is seeking a minimum sentence of two years and six months in prison for the tanker's captain and two mates for aggravated sabotage and telecommunications disruption. The defendants deny the charges.
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