COPENHAGEN (TPLinkfi.com) – Finnish authorities announced on Tuesday that they’ve recovered an anchor from the seafloor that is a part of an ongoing investigation into suspected sabotage targeting power and internet cables in the Baltic Sea.
Last month, Finnish authorities seized a tanker ship called the Eagle S, which was carrying Russian oil, after it was suspected of damaging a high-voltage power cable known as Estlink 2, as well as four underwater telecoms cables, by dragging its anchor across the seafloor.
The area where the anchor was discoveries is along the course of the Eagle Ship crater’s when trail on the ocean floor, located at the western end of the drag’s path.
A lawyer representing a company based in the United Arab Emirates that owns the Eagle S, indicated that Finland has commandeered the vessel at sea and should return it, a request that was rejected by a court this past Friday.
The company’s legal representative and Caravella LLC FZ did not respond to a comment request on Tuesday.
Photographs taken of the Eagle since the incident reveal that the vessel is without its port side anchor.
Countries around the Baltic Sea are on high alert following a series of disruptions to power cables, telecommunications lines and gas pipelines since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022. NATO has announced plans to increase its military presence in the area.
A Swedish defense anchor was recovered from the ocean floor following a joint effort by Finland’s border control and military troops as well as the Swedish navy, according to the police.
“Contributing to the advancement of this criminal investigation, the evidence is currently being examined by forensic experts,” NBI Detective Superintendent Risto Lohi stated.
Reporting by Stine Jacobsen and Louise Rasmussen; Editing by Terje Solsvik and Emelia Sithole-Matarise
