Overview

• The Helsinki district court threw out the indictment against the Eagle S captain and two officers, finding Finnish criminal law could not be applied and rejecting compensation claims.
• The defendants had been accused of intentionally damaging the EstLink 2 power link and four telecommunications cables between Finland and Estonia in December 2024.
• Prosecutors sought prison terms of at least two and a half years, arguing the damage endangered Finland’s energy supply and led to at least €60 million in repair costs.
• Investigators said the Cook Islands–flagged tanker dragged its anchor about 90 kilometers across the seabed; the defense maintained a technical failure and an accidental incident.
• The court treated the episode as a navigational matter under the UN Law of the Sea, pointing to primary jurisdiction for the flag state or the defendants’ home countries, and noted the ruling is not yet final.