Finland seized the tanker Eagle S carrying Russian oil on suspicion of damaging the Finnish-Estonian power Estlink 2.
A Finnish court has rejected a request to release an oil tanker suspected by police of damaging an underwater power line and four telecommunications cables in the Baltic Sea.
Last week, Finland seized the Eagle S tanker carrying Russian oil on suspicion of damaging the Finnish-Estonian Estlink 2 power line and telecommunications cables the day before by dragging its anchor across the seabed.
A lawyer representing United Arab Emirates-based Caravella LLC FZ, which owns the tanker, had sought the release of the vessel and crew.
“This district court has rejected the defendant’s request, which means that this seizure remains in effect,” Helsinki District Court Judge Tatu Koistinen said Friday.
Finnish lawyer Herman Ljungberg, who represented Caravella, said the company now plans to file a new motion to release the vessel.
Finland’s National Bureau of Investigation seized the ship and the Finnish customs office seized its cargo of 35,000 tons of unleaded gasoline as it investigates whether sanctions against Russia were violated.
The customs service believes the Eagle S is part of a shadowy fleet of aging tankers used to evade sanctions for selling Russian oil.
Ljungberg, who has accused Finland of seizing the Eagle S in international waters, said on Friday that his legal filings had sought transparency about where the seizure took place, but that this had been rejected by the court.
The cargo’s owners also plan to seek its release, the lawyer said.
The Eagle S, which is registered in the Cook Islands, was brought to a bay near the Finnish port of Porvoo, where police are currently collecting evidence and questioning the crew, who are Georgian and Indian nationals.
Finnish police have said eight crew members are suspects in the investigation.
Sweden said on Friday it was also sending a military ship to help the Finnish investigation.
“With their unique expertise, the Swedish armed forces are contributing to helping Finland shed light on what happened,” Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson said in a statement.
The Baltic Sea countries have been on high alert following a series of disruptions to power cables, telecom links and gas pipelines since Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022.
NATO said last week it would increase its presence in the region.
The European Union has also announced enhanced measures to protect submarine cables by improving intelligence sharing and the use of new detection technology and repair capabilities.
