Where's the warrant? The owner of a tanker with gasoline from Russia demands to release the ship in Finland

The owner of the Eagle S tanker, which carries Russian gasoline and is suspected of damaging the EstLink 2 power cable between Finland and Estonia, demanded to release the vessel through the court. The lawyer says that he has not yet seen a warrant for the detention of the tanker.

Caravella, a company registered in the UAE, demanded to cancel the detention of its Eagle S tanker in the Helsinki District Court.

Lawyer Herman Ljungberg, who represents the interests of the owner and crew of the tanker, confirmed to Finnish Yle the filing of an application to the court.

"I have been trying to contact the authorities since Thursday. The communication of the ship's crew with me and their receipt of legal assistance was not allowed," the lawyer said. According to him, he demanded that the authorities provide a document on the basis of which the vessel was detained.

"I have not received such a decision yet," said Herman Ljungberg. Also, according to him, he has no decisions on what basis the equipment was confiscated on board the tanker.

The lawyer said that the Eagle S team consists of about twenty citizens of India and Georgia and he managed to talk several times only with the captain via satellite communication. Mobile phones were seized from the entire crew.

"I understood that they could not inform home about the incident," said Herman Ljungberg.

The lawyer added to the Finnish edition that he was unaware of the ongoing police actions on board the ship: "I told the police that they (the crew) should have a lawyer. The authorities have decided that this is not necessary."

The captain of the tanker told the lawyer that the crew is restricted in movement on the ship and food supplies are running out on board. At the same time, the ship's computer was confiscated.

Police suspect that the tanker damaged the Estlink 2 power cable between Finland and Estonia, but the lawyer believes that it is still necessary to understand.

"A fully loaded oil tanker has no other goal but to get to its destination as soon as possible for the next cargo. The ship is not interested in losing the anchor," added Herman Ljungberg.

Finnish police continue to investigate the rupture of the EstLink 2 power cable in the Baltic Sea between Finland and Estonia. Patrol ships are trying to find an anchor with which a tanker with Russian gasoline could catch on the power cable. But so far only a trace has been found. The tanker itself was taken away from the border of territorial waters closer to the shore — to the oil terminal.

As EADaily reported, on the afternoon of December 25, Finland announced the breakage of the EstLink 2 power cable, which connects Finland and Estonia. Suspicion fell on the tanker Eagle S, which carries unleaded gasoline from Russia to Asia or Europe — the ship was heading for the Suez Canal. During the rupture, the tanker could pass directly over the power cable.

In the evening, the vessel changed its route and turned into Finnish territorial waters. The next day, Finland announced the detention of the vessel. Investigators believe that the tanker could have hooked the anchor of the power cable and four more communication cables. So far, this is speculation, since Finland has not reported on the discovery of a break point and its investigation. But a criminal case has already been opened for vandalism with aggravating consequences.

Eagle S tanker is owned by a company from the UAE and operated by an operator from India. In the West, the vessel is referred to as a tanker of Russia's shadow fleet, which helps Russian manufacturers circumvent Western sanctions restrictions. In selected countries The EU is required to fight the shadow fleet and confiscate cargo in order to reduce Russia's revenues. Which, however, is extremely problematic, since international law clearly establishes the rules for freedom of navigation — in neutral waters.