Finland Releases Tanker but Detains Three Crew from December Cable Incident

Finnish authorities confirmed in a statement on Sunday, March 2, that they have released the product tanker Eagle S that it has been detaining since a December 25 incident with damage to undersea transmission cables. They determined that the seizure could be canceled in part after the cable companies withdrew their request and the detention from the Port State inspection was lifted. They also said they were releasing the cargo but continue to hold three crewmembers in the ongoing investigation.

“As the criminal investigation conducted by the National Bureau of Investigation, including the forensic investigation on board Eagle S, has progressed, there are no longer grounds for continuing the seizure of the tanker. Therefore, the seizure was canceled on Friday, February 28, 2025. As far as the criminal investigation is concerned, the tanker is not prevented from continuing its passage to leave Finland's territorial waters,” the Helsinki police said in a statement.

The Border Guard vessel Turva escorted the Eagle S out of Finnish waters on March 2. The vessel’s AIS signal shows it underway on Monday at nearly 11 knots. It is declaring Port Said, Egypt as its next port call.

Finnish authorities detained the vessel hours after Estonian electric transmission company Elering and Finnish electricity system operator Fingrid reported on December 25 an interruption in their EstLink 2 power connection. The vessel was ordered into Finnish waters and then on January 2 a Port State inspection found 32 deficiencies ranging from inoperative fire equipment and a radar as well structural conditions not as required in cargo areas. That detention order remained in place for 53 days.

“Our inspectors have visited on board the ship and concluded that the deficiencies that led to the detention of the ship and the other deficiencies detected during port state control have been rectified,” said Sanna Sonninen, Maritime Director at Traficom. “Therefore, Traficom has released Eagle S. Cooperation with the ship’s flag state (Cook Islands), crew, and classification society has been excellent.”

The Helsinki Police continue to work with the National Bureau of Investigation. They said there would be further interviews with the crew and examination of the material gathered on the grounds of criminal mischief and aggravated interference with communication. The vessel’s anchor was retrieved from the seafloor on January 6. The goal is to conclude the criminal investigation by the end of April.

Based on the criminal investigation, eight crewmembers are reported to be suspects. However, the travel ban was also rescinded for five individuals with three required to remain in Finland.

Investigators are also reporting that they tested the unleaded gasoline and diesel cargo aboard the vessel. They have determined it can be transferred from the European Union. The detention of the cargo was permitted to lapse.

Elering and Fingrid said in a separate announcement that they withdrew their motion to detain the tanker for compensation for the damages. According to Kalle Kilk, chairman of the management board of Elering, the costs of the detention are unreasonable. He said it would have cost the company hundreds of thousands of Euros per month plus a one million Euro deposit. He said the costs could exceed the value of the ship and noted it would be difficult to sell the ship while the legal dispute was ongoing. The company said they plan to sue the ship’s owners for the repair costs while reporting a Finnish law firm assessed the trial could last up to five to six years.

The Finnish authorities have asserted their actions prevented additional damage to the cables while pointing to sabotage. Other cases however have shown possible unintentional damage. Sweden detained and released another ship after saying it was convinced that the incident was an accident. They however reported last week that they were investigating another incident of cable damage reported by a Finnish company for its cable off Sweden’s Gotland.

The December incident led to increased patrols by the Baltic countries. They also pressured NATO which has agreed to add resources for monitoring while the UK launched its own tracking tool using AI and other advanced technologies for vessels.