The Cook Islands-flagged vessel Eagle S was quickly suspected of being involved in the Estlink 2 cable break on Christmas Day. On Boxing Day, the ship had been boarded and taken to Finnish waters.
On Saturday, the ship was moved again, this time to a protected anchorage in Borgå, east of Helsinki.
The new underwater images from the Finnish border guard show damage to the ship’s hull. According to the Finnish police, the damage is located on the port side, near the bow, and photos show several fresh paint cracks and impact marks, which are suspected to be caused by the anchor chain.
The Finnish police have previously announced that they have started a preliminary investigation into suspected serious sabotage, but in a press release on Monday it is written that it is also being investigated as suspected serious interference with communication.
In the same press release, the police write that they continued their investigations of Eagle S and the questioning of its crew.
– In addition, hardware has been seized from the ship, which has to do with the ship’s passage and it will be analyzed. The investigations under the water have been interrupted today due to demanding weather conditions, says the Central Criminal Police’s Criminal Commissioner Elina Katajamäki.
The preliminary investigation is expected to take months before it is completed.