Finnish authorities have begun moving the seized oil tanker Eagle S to a new location as investigations continue into damaged undersea infrastructure in the Baltic Sea. The vessel is suspected of causing damage to both power and telecommunications cables between Finland and Estonia.
The Helsinki Police Department announced Saturday that the Eagle S would be transferred to Svartbeck, an anchorage near Kilpilahti port. Police stated the new location would better facilitate their ongoing investigation.
The tanker, flying under the Cook Islands flag, was detained earlier this week after authorities discovered damage to a 170-kilometer undersea power cable connecting Finland and Estonia, along with disruptions to four data cables. Investigators believe the ship's missing anchor may have caused the damage.
During the transfer operation, authorities established a one-nautical-mile exclusion zone around the vessel and implemented a no-fly zone over Sköldvik Bay. Police temporarily suspended their onboard investigation during the move.
The Eagle S is reportedly part of a "shadow fleet" transporting Russian oil. According to maritime industry sources, the vessel was carrying a full load of unleaded gasoline when detained. Reports suggest the tanker was equipped with unusual transmission and receiving devices that are not typically found on merchant vessels.
This incident marks the third case of undersea infrastructure damage in the Baltic Sea in just over a year. In response, NATO announced plans to increase patrols in the region. German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock noted the concerning frequency of such incidents, stating that ships are damaging important undersea cables "with almost monthly frequency."
The Kremlin has stated that Finland's seizure of the vessel is of little concern to Russia and has previously denied involvement in Baltic infrastructure incidents.