A court in Finland's capital of Helsinki has begun hearing the case against the captain and two officers of the oil tanker Eagle S, which had become involved in a cable damage incident late last year.
Prosecutors allege that on Christmas Day 2024, the Cook Islands-flagged vessel dragged its 11-tonne anchor for nearly 90 kilometres across the seabed, severing the Estlink Two power interconnector between Finland and Estonia along with four telecommunications cables.
Finnish authorities estimate the resulting damage at more than €70 million (US$80 million). For several days, both power flows and internet connectivity were disrupted, exposing what International Marine Contractors Association (IMCA) said is the fragility of the subsea infrastructure.
The defendants have pleaded not guilty, arguing that mechanical failure and adverse weather, rather than deliberate sabotage, caused the anchor to drop. However, prosecutors are seeking prison sentences for aggravated criminal mischief and interference with telecommunications, citing what they describe as gross negligence.
"When [subsea cables] are damaged, whether through negligence, accident or hostile action, the consequences are immediate and profound," IMCA Chief Executive Iain Grainger said in a statement. "The vulnerabilities exposed in this trial are not unique to Europe; they are global."
IMCA, together with the European Subsea Cables Association (ESCA), has long cautioned that the capacity to repair damaged cables is under strain. The repair fleet that serves Europe and other regions is ageing, with limited new investment, while skills shortages among offshore engineers, jointers and vessel crews threaten to become a "critical bottleneck," according to both IMCA and ESCA.
Telecommunications cables are supported by long-established international maintenance agreements, which enable operators to share access to repair vessels and stockpiled equipment.
Power cables, by contrast, are heavier, more technically complex, and more difficult to repair. They often cross multiple jurisdictions, creating delays and uncertainty when urgent action is required.
IMCA warns that, with offshore wind farms and cross-border interconnectors expanding rapidly in Asia, North America and Europe, the risk is multiplying worldwide.
"Without strategic renewal of fleets, investment in specialist skills, and urgent reform of regulatory frameworks to enable faster response times to unexpected outages, governments risk being caught unprepared," Grainger remarked.