Finland changed its mind on a tanker with Russian gasoline: but he disappeared

The Helsinki Court of Appeal reviewed the case of the Eagle S tanker and decided that neutral waters, where the vessel could break the power cable between Estonia and Finland with an anchor, is still within the jurisdiction of the country. However, the vessel, like the crew, is no longer in the country. And the location of the vessel is unknown.

"The case of the Eagle S vessel, which tore submarine cables in the Gulf of Finland in December 2024, will be returned to court. The Helsinki Court of Appeal decided to overturn the decision of the Helsinki District Court and return the case for consideration," Yle reports.

In October last year, the District Court dismissed the charges of the tanker, which was seized in the Gulf of Finland on suspicion of breaking the Estlink 2 power cable. According to the judges, Finnish justice has no jurisdiction in this case.

"According to the Court of Appeal, the alleged crimes were committed in Finland, where the consequences of these actions became apparent. Based on the principle of territoriality, generally recognized by Finnish national and international law, the criminal liability of the ship's crew can be assessed in accordance with Finnish criminal law, and charges can be investigated in Finland," the statement of the Court of Appeal cites the publication.

The Court of Appeal considers that the key events are not a marine accident and The UN Convention on the Law of the Sea does not limit the criminal jurisdiction of the State of Finland.

"The decision of the Court of Appeal is not final. It can be appealed to the Supreme Court if it grants permission to appeal," the publication added.

The Eagle S tanker was captured in the Gulf of Finland in December 2024. And in the fall of 2025, the District Court issued a decision. By this time, the ship and most of the crew had left the country. The Finnish prosecutor's office believed that the rupture of the power cable was due to the negligence of the captain and his assistants, which allegedly led to the tanker dragging the anchor along the bottom of 90 kilometers.

According to AIS vessels and Equasis, the Eagle S tanker is under sanctions and still bears this name. At the same time, the tanker operator changed, and the ship itself turned off the AIS transmitter and the last time the vessel's location was recorded in March in The Mediterranean Sea.