Overview

• The Helsinki District Court threw out the charges and related damage claims tied to the Dec. 25, 2024 cuts, ruling Finland lacked jurisdiction to prosecute.
• The court classified the anchor loss as a navigation incident under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, pointing to courts of the flag state or defendants’ home states as competent.
• Prosecutors alleged the Cook Islands‑flagged Eagle S dragged an 11,000‑kg anchor for about 90 km, severing the EstLink 2 power cable and four data lines, while the crew pleaded not guilty.
• Travel bans on the Georgian captain and first officer and the Indian second officer were lifted after the trial, the men left Finland, the ship’s owner was not charged, and the vessel was released in March.
• The case became an early test of accountability for Baltic subsea damage that has triggered elevated regional patrols and renewed attention to Russia’s so‑called shadow fleet.