Here’s a simple story – a ship destroyed a cable, people were arrested, it’s no one’s fault, and now Finnish tax payers will pay €195,000 for the law that didn’t work.
Eagle S is suspected of consciously causing damage to an important power cable between Finland and Estonia. Image credit: Htm via Wikimedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)
The 183-meter-long oil tanker Eagle S, suspected of belonging to the Russian shadow fleet, is believed to have caused massive damage to international undersea infrastructure on December 25, 2024. Dragging its 11-ton anchor for nearly 90 kilometers across the seabed, it severely damaged the Estlink 2 power cable connecting Finland and Estonia. Finnish authorities intercepted the vessel soon after and began investigating the incident and prosecuting those who would be responsible for it.
The so-called Russian shadow fleet consists mostly of old tankers with murky ownership, registered through opaque offshore schemes. These vessels often operate with their transponders turned off, and are often in poor technical condition, posing environmental risks. Their primary role: exporting Russian oil to buyers willing to circumvent international sanctions in order to enjoy steep discounts. These operations bring revenue to Russia, necessary for it to continue its extremely expensive war against Ukraine.
Curbing the shadow fleet is notoriously difficult. These ships sail in international waters, beyond the reach of most jurisdictions. But they’re not just economic tools – they’re also suspected instruments of Russian hybrid warfare. For instance, drones that recently disrupted Danish airports are believed to have been launched from such tankers.
The Eagle S case stands out: it inflicted direct damage to critical undersea infrastructure and was caught red-handed. Yet no one will be punished. In fact, Finnish citizens are footing the bill.
In March 2025, a Helsinki court ordered the ship’s release. Until then, it had been moored near the capital. Prosecutors had sought prison sentences of at least 2.5 years for Captain Davit Vadachkoria and assistant captains Robert Eghizarian and Santosh Kumar Chaurasia. But the court dismissed all charges, citing international treaties: jurisdiction over cable damage in the Gulf of Finland lies either with the vessel’s flag state – the Cook Islands – or with the defendants’ countries of nationality.
And so, Eagle S sails on. It possibly damaged a vital cable, escaped prosecution, and probably continues to export Russian oil. Finland must now cover the legal expenses of approximately €195,000. Someone will be paying for repairs and everything that happened after the incident.
But the worst thing of all is that this story may encourage Russia to exploit the freedom of international waters and unrecognizable ships more often. Launching drones or dragging destructive anchors across the seabed – they could run anywhere with this idea.
Written by Povilas M.
Source: Yle.fi
