Finnish authorities have filed charges against the captain and officers of the Eagle S oil tanker for suspected sabotage of undersea cables between Finland and Estonia in December, according to reports Monday.
Charges, including aggravated sabotage and aggravated telecommunications interference, have been filed by the deputy prosecutor general against the captain, first officer and second officer of the Cook Islands-registered oil tanker, Finnish broadcaster, YLE, reported.
It came after the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) launched an investigation into incidents, including a damaged Estlink 2 power cable as well as four other telecommunication wires in the Gulf of Finland by dragging the tanker's anchor along the seabed for about 90 kilometers (56 miles).
The report said authorities suspect the vessel is part of Russia's so-called "shadow fleet" -- sea vessels allegedly used to skirt oil sanctions on Moscow.
The three defendants have denied any wrongdoing during the investigation as they have also argued that Finland does not have jurisdiction in the case because the cables were damaged outside Finnish territorial waters.
The incident was one of several suspected hybrid attacks on telecommunications services in the Nordic region at the end of last year, putting the region on alert over energy supply and telecommunication links.
By Burak Bir in London
Anadolu Agency
energy@aa.com.tr
