- Prosecutors say the tanker deliberately dragged its anchor along the seabed to sever five undersea cables.
- Finnish prosecutors are seeking 2.5 years in prison for the tanker’s senior officers.
A high-profile trial commenced in Helsinki involving the captain and two officers of an oil tanker accused of damaging five undersea power and telecommunications cables in the Baltic Sea last December, reports Reuters.
Technical faults for Baltic Sea cable breaches?
Authorities allege the vessel dragged its anchor along the seabed, severing a power cable between Finland and Estonia as well as four internet lines—an incident that disrupted critical infrastructure and heightened regional security concerns.
At the opening, the three defendants pleaded not guilty to charges of aggravated criminal mischief and interference with telecommunications. These offenses carry maximum penalties of up to 10 and 5 years in prison, respectively. Prosecutors are seeking 2.5-year sentences for each.
The defense argues the incident was an accident caused by a technical fault in the anchor winch, not sabotage. They also contest Finland’s jurisdiction, claiming the damage occurred outside territorial waters.
Court documents reveal that after the initial cable break at around 12:26 p.m., the tanker continued sailing at reduced speed for nearly three hours. When Finnish maritime authorities inquired about the status of the anchor at around 3:20 p.m., the crew reported it was secured. Later that evening, between 6 and 7 p.m., four more cables were allegedly severed—behavior prosecutors interpret as deliberate.
While the defense maintains the crew believed the situation resulted from engine problems, prosecutors argue that failure of all three anchor backstops constitutes at least gross negligence. The total damage is estimated to exceed €60 million.
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Source: Reuters
