Finnish police announced on Tuesday (Jan 7) that they had recovered a lost anchor from the seabed as part of an ongoing investigation into suspected sabotage of power and internet cables in the Baltic Sea.
The anchor was found along the route of the Eagle S, a Russian oil tanker detained by Finland last month. Authorities suspect the vessel dragged its anchor across the seabed, damaging the Finnish-Estonian Estlink 2 power cable and four telecom lines.
Finland's National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) stated that the anchor was discovered along the Eagle S's route, near the western end of the seabed drag marks.
The Eagle S is owned by UAE-based Caravella LLC FZ. A Finnish lawyer representing the company accused Finland of unlawfully seizing the vessel, but a court rejected the request for its release on Friday. The company has not commented on the latest developments.
Photos of the Eagle S confirm it is missing its port-side anchor. Finnish police, with assistance from the border guard, defense forces, and the Swedish navy, retrieved the anchor, which is now undergoing forensic analysis.
Baltic Sea nations remain on high alert following multiple power, telecom, and gas pipeline disruptions since Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022. In response, NATO has pledged to strengthen its presence in the region.