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Finland has lifted its seizure of the Eagle S oil tanker, which was suspected of damaging the EstLink 2 underwater cable in the Baltic Sea last December. The move was made on Feb. 28, according to a press release by the Helsinki Police Department. Media outlet Yle reports that the vessel has already been escorted into international waters, with the country’s Border Guard closely monitoring its movements.
Finland’s National Bureau of Investigation added that its technical actions on the vessel had been completed, leaving no grounds for its further detention.
Data from MarineTraffic indicated that the Eagle S was sailing past the Swedish island of Gotland while en route to Port Said in Egypt as of 11:30 GMT on Monday, March 3.
Screenshot: MarineTraffic
Part of the ship’s crew, however, remains under investigation. Eight individuals are involved in the case, with three still subject to travel bans. The remaining five had the restrictions lifted last week.
“Eight people are still technically suspected of the crime. However, for these five people, it was considered that the investigative measures had reached the point where this coercive measure was no longer needed,” Chief Criminal Police Inspector Risto Lohi told Finnish news agency STT.
The preliminary investigation is focused on determining whether there is cause to charge the suspects for the crimes of aggravated vandalism and aggravated interference with telecommunications. Authorities expect to conclude the probe by the end of April.
Customs officials also inspected the tanker’s cargo of gasoline and diesel fuel, which fall under EU sanctions. However, since there was no recorded import or transit of such cargoes through Europe, the ship’s contents were permitted to leave EU territory along with the vessel. The Yle report indicates that the cost of detaining and maintaining the ship indefinitely would have been more than the ship itself is worth.
While Finnish grid operator Fingrid and Estonia’s Elering will not seek reimbursement for these costs, they plan to file claims for damages caused by the EstLink 2 cable break. At this stage, both grid operators intend to pay for the repair costs of Estlink 2 themselves so that the transmission connection can be restored as quickly as possible. In early February, electricity prices across the Baltic region — and Estonia specifically — saw a marked surge, which was partially attributed to Estlink 2 being out of service.
The Eagle S departed from the Russian port of Ust-Luga on Dec. 25 at 3:25 a.m. local time. It was detained in the Gulf of Finland after the undersea power cable linking Estonia and Finland was damaged. MarineTraffic data showed that the vessel dramatically reduced its speed and performed unusual circular maneuvers near the location of the break. The Eagle S’s anchor was later recovered in the area.
Sources cited by the Financial Times and British maritime journal Lloyd’s List claimed that the Eagle S is part of Russia’s so-called “shadow fleet” — a collection of poorly maintained vessels that help Moscow trade oil at prices above the Western-imposed $60-per-barrel price cap.
Lloyd’s List, citing an unnamed source directly involved with the vessel, later reported that the Eagle S was equipped with spy equipment capable of monitoring NATO ships and aircraft.
The incident involving the Eagle S was merely one in a series of suspicious cable disruptions over the past several months, which have seen damage inflicted on multiple underwater power and communication lines in the Baltic Sea. Authorities in the affected countries — Germany, Sweden, Finland, Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia — suspect sabotage, potentially linked to Russia.
In response to the disruptions, in January NATO announced the launch of the Baltic Sentry mission to safeguard critical infrastructure across the region. The operation will involve patrols of the Baltic Sea by frigates, maritime patrol aircraft, and unmanned naval drones.