Investigation Launched into Eagle S Tanker for Damaging Subsea Cables in Gulf of Finland
A tanker suspected of damaging multiple subsea cables in the Gulf of Finland reportedly dragged its anchor for up to 50 nautical miles, as revealed by a sonar survey conducted by Finnish authorities. When officials inspected the vessel, the anchor was missing, and the chain was still in the water.
Finnish National Criminal Police inspector Sami Paila stated that the trail of the anchor chain extends several dozen kilometers east of the point where it was lifted, possibly reaching nearly a hundred kilometers. This evidence is considered significant in the ongoing investigation.

Источник: Finnish Border Guard
The tanker, known as the “dark fleet” LR1 and recently renamed Eagle S, is under investigation for three criminal offenses: aggravated vandalism, aggravated regulatory offense, and aggravated interference with telecommunications. It has been moved to a sheltered anchorage near Porvoo for further examination.
Currently, at-sea investigations have been halted due to high winds and rough conditions, but authorities plan to resume as soon as the weather permits. Meanwhile, police are interrogating the crew.
There are also indications of espionage, as a maritime professional informed Lloyd’s List that the Eagle S had previously carried sophisticated signals intelligence equipment, with the crew allegedly threatened to remain silent about its purpose. This equipment was reportedly brought on board seven months ago and removed at the end of the voyage. An unidentified non-crewmember was also reportedly seen on the tanker.
Finnish police have dismissed these claims as a “rumor,” stating that no such equipment was found on the Eagle S at the time of its arrest.
Russian intelligence services are known to operate a covert signals intelligence program within the Russian fishing fleet, particularly in Northern Europe and Scandinavia. During the Cold War, these vessels were designated as “Auxiliary, General Intelligence (AGI)” trawlers by the US Navy. Today, Western defense analysts are concerned that Russia may utilize its extensive “dark fleet” of lightly-regulated tankers for similar purposes, allowing them to conceal illicit activities among regular merchant traffic. Estimates suggest that the Russia-linked dark fleet constitutes over 15 % of the world’s tanker fleet.