On December 25, the Eagle S, a tanker allegedly transporting Russian gasoline, was detained by Finnish authorities under accusation of severing the Estlink 2 undersea power cable linking Finland and Estonia. The vessel, registered under the Cook Islands, had been transporting cargo to Europe when the incident occurred.
Caravella LLC FZ, the UAE-based company owning the Eagle S, has now launched legal action against the Finnish government demanding the vessel's release, arguing they have not received any formal warrant for its detention. German Ljungberg, the lawyer representing Caravella, emphasized his attempts to contact authorities since the detention, indicating communication barriers faced by the crew due to confiscated mobile devices.
"I've been trying to reach out to the authorities since Thursday. The crew's communication with me and obtaining legal assistance has been blocked," Ljungberg stated. Reports reveal the crew, mainly comprising Indian and Georgian nationals, are reportedly facing restrictions on movement aboard the tanker and are running low on supplies.
Following the incident on December 25, the Finnish police have launched investigations believing the tanker might have dragged its anchor, damaging the Estlink 2 cable along with four other communication cables, trailing along the seafloor kilometers deep. Finnish authorities have deployed patrol vessels to locate the anchor, which they suspect was directly involved.
"A full-loaded oil tanker has only one goal: to get to its destination for the next load as quickly as possible. The vessel isn’t interested in losing its anchor," Ljungberg reflected on the situation surrounding the tanker.
Finland's Central Criminal Police chief Samu Paila confirmed the police's assertive course caused by the prolonged path of the dragging anchor, which has been traced back to where the tanker reportedly dropped its anchor. This preliminary assessment suggests the Eagle S's anchor might have caused significant underwater damage, raising suspicions of negligence.
"The dragging track measures several tens of kilometers long. The exact location of the anchor drop hasn't yet been determined," Paila noted, reinforcing the degree of concern Finn authorities possess about potential additional environmental impacts.
On December 30, as details about the tanker surfaced, another unrelated vessel, the M/T Jazz, was reported drifting due to technical difficulties; Finnish Coast Guard confirmed this vessel did not contribute to the severance of the Estlink 2 power cable, thereby segregated from the Eagle S case.
Upon the Eagle S's detainment, authorities indicated intentions to interrogate the crew without legal representation, leading to allegations of rights violations. According to Ljungberg, the crew's basic rights to legal counsel have been disregarded. This circumstance fuels growing speculation about the enforcement of international maritime law.
"The Finns have seized the vessel," Ljungberg emphasized, conveying discontent with the handling of the incident. Despite this, Finnish law enforcement clarified their adherence to legal procedures, asserting they informed crew members of their rights.
The case adds complexity to the tense geopolitical dynamics, amid broader scrutiny on Russia's shadow fleets, which allegedly assist sanctioned oil deliveries across foreign waters. Documents sourced from media reports indicate the Eagle S and similar vessels are entrenched within such covert operations.
Given the confrontation between the vessel's ownership and Finnish authorities, the outcome of the legal proceedings remains uncertain. Was this incident merely operational negligence, or does it hint at broader maritime security breaches? The fallout from the events surrounding the Eagle S could reverberate beyond this singular incident, encapsulating persistent disputes of maritime jurisdiction and national security measures.
Both the incident and the response from authorities reflect the growing tension and scrutiny on vessels associated with Russian oil exports. What's next for the Eagle S remains unclear as investigations continue, but one thing is for certain: the maritime community is closely watching these developments.