Last month, Finland seized the Eagle S oil tanker while carrying Russian oil on suspicion of severing the Finland- Estonian Estlink 2 power cable and four telecommunications cables by dragging its anchor to the seabed.
On January 7, Finnish police announced that they had salvaged an anchor as part of an investigation into the suspected sabotage of electric and telecommunication cables in the Baltic Sea.
The anchor was found along the Eagle S route, at the western end of the trace of the seabed, the Finnish Investigation Agency (NBI) said in a statement.
According to Finnish police, the anchor was salvaged from the seabed with the help of the Finnish defense and border guards as well as the Swedish Navy. This anchor will contribute to the criminal investigation and is being analyzed for forensically, said NBI leader Risto Lohi.
A Finnish lawyer representing Caravella LLC FZ - a company based in the United Arab Emirates that owns the Eagle S tanker - accused Finland of seizing the vessel in international waters and suggesting releasing it. However, the Finnish court rejected the request last week.
Photos of the Eagle S since the cable break in the Baltic Sea show the ship losing its anchor on the left side.
Baltic Sea countries are on high alert after a series of power cable, telecommunication and gas pipeline disruptions since the Russia-Ukraine conflict broke out in 2022. The NATO military alliance has affirmed its presence in the region.
