EstLink 2 Cable to Return to Service as Criminal Investigation is Finished

 

Media reports from Finland are indicating that police investigators have completed the examination of the incident in which a shadow fleet tanker is suspected of dragging its anchor and damaging critical undersea infrastructure. This comes as the cable operator reported that it will be able to restore commercial service at the end of the month.

A subsea power cable connecting Finland and Estonia went dark on Christmas Day 2024 along with damage to other communications cables. The authorities suspected a shadow fleet product tanker Eagle S that was operating in the Russian oil trade. The Cook Islands-flagged vessel was missing one of its anchors which was later retrieved from the seabed along with the reports that teams found indications that the anchor was dragged along the seabed for over 100 kilometers, severing the power link and four undersea telecommunications cables.

Fingrid and Elering announced last week that repair work on EstLink 2 is progressing faster than planned and that the electricity interconnector will return to commercial use on June 25, about three weeks ahead of the originally anticipated mid-July date. The section of the cable that was damaged has successfully been cut out, with about a one-kilometer-long spare cable being used to connect the undamaged sections. The works are being aided by favorable sea conditions. 

“Both the preparatory and repair works have progressed well, and there have been no setbacks. The construction of the first repair joint will be completed today (May 30), and construction of the second will begin next week,” said Reigo Haug, head of Estlink operations.

At the same time, Yle Svenska, the Swedish-language service of Finland’s national broadcaster, reported that it had learned the criminal investigation into the incident has also been completed. Police were working on the theory that the action was “gross sabotage and gross disruption” of the power and telecommunications cables. The Helsinki Times highlights that under Finnish law, aggravated sabotage can carry significant prison sentences, especially when it involves deliberate damage to national infrastructure. Disruption of telecommunications traffic, if deemed aggravated, is also treated as a serious criminal offense.

Prosecutors confirmed to Yle that they have received thousands of pages of information. They said it would take two to three months to review the details of the investigation and make a determination. The attorney general will ultimately decide if they proceed with an indictment and trial. 

The news outlets report that the captain and the first and second officers of the Eagle S remain under suspicion. The police previously only confirmed that three crewmembers had been ordered to remain in Finland. Originally, nine crewmembers were detained but the others were released in March along the with the vessel.

Prosecutors will have to determine if there is evidence that it was an international act to damage the cables. Others have contended that it was simply poor seamanship and an accident. 

Following the release of the vessel, the Finland and Estonia utility companies Fingrid and Elering said they would sue the ship’s owner to cover repair costs. They had agreed to the release of the tanker saying that the trial could last up to five to six years. The companies are covering the cost of the cable repairs which reports said could end up costing €60 million ($68 million).

Yle reports that a tentative preliminary trial date is set for late August or early September should prosecutors decide to proceed with the case.