The trial of the captain and two officers of the oil tanker Eagle S opened in Helsinki on Monday, with all three pleading not guilty to charges of damaging critical undersea infrastructure in the Gulf of Finland.
Prosecutors allege the Cook Islands registered vessel deliberately dragged its anchor along the seabed on December 25, severing the Estlink 2 power link between Finland and Estonia and four high-capacity internet cables. The incident triggered heightened security alerts among NATO forces in the Baltic region, already on edge after a series of unexplained cable and pipeline disruptions since 2022.
Finnish security forces intercepted the tanker, boarding it from helicopters after ordering it into national waters. The defendants Georgian captain Davit Vadatchkoria and two Indian officers face charges of aggravated criminal mischief and aggravated interference with telecommunications, with prosecutors seeking prison terms of two and a half years.
The defense maintains the damage was an accident caused by a technical fault in the anchor winch, arguing the crew believed a slowdown in speed was due to engine trouble. Lawyers also dispute Finland’s jurisdiction, noting the cuts occurred in international waters.
According to prosecutors, the Eagle S continued sailing for hours after the first cable was severed, later damaging four more cables in the same day a sequence they say demonstrates deliberate intent. The case is expected to test legal boundaries over responsibility for infrastructure attacks beyond territorial waters.
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