Tanker Eagle S: Georgian captain faces trial in Finland today
Tanker Eagle S case
Georgian citizen Davit Vadachkoria, captain of the tanker Eagle S detained in the Gulf of Finland in December 2024, along with his first and second officers, goes on trial today in Finland over the cutting of undersea cables.
What happened
In December 2024, after leaving St Petersburg, the Eagle S dragged its anchor for dozens of kilometres along the seabed, damaging the Estlink 2 power cable linking Finland and Estonia, as well as four internet cables. The tanker, believed to be part of Russia’s “shadow fleet,” was then detained. Its crew is made up of Georgian and Indian nationals.
Investigators say the damage was deliberate. Captain Vadachkoria is charged with intentionally damaging private property, with losses estimated at €60m.
Russia’s so-called shadow fleet is made up of ageing vessels with opaque ownership, used mainly to illegally transport oil from sanctioned states to other countries.
In Finland, intentional property damage under aggravating circumstances carries a prison sentence of up to 10 years, while interfering with communications infrastructure under aggravating circumstances is punishable by up to five years.
The defence denies the charges and argues that Finland has no jurisdiction, as the incident took place outside its territorial waters.
Shortly after his arrest, on 3 January, Davit Vadachkoria told Helsingin Sanomat it had been “a routine maritime incident.”
Finnish broadcaster Yle, citing the vessel tracking site MarineTraffic, reported that the tanker had sharply reduced speed near the power line, which they said pointed to deliberate intent.
