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The Helsinki Court of Appeal has overturned a previous ruling from the district court regarding the Eagle S oil tanker, which is believed to have caused damage to subsea cables in the Gulf of Finland during Christmas 2024. The appeal court has now ordered the case to be reopened at the district court level. Prosecutors claim that the tanker's crew allowed its massive anchor to drag across the sea floor, damaging five undersea cables, including a crucial electricity link between Finland and Estonia.

A criminal trial at the district court began in August last year, with the focus on whether the crew should have noticed the anchor dragging for 90 kilometers. However, in October 2025, the district court dismissed the case, ruling that Finland lacked jurisdiction. This decision was reversed on Thursday by the appeal court, which determined that Finland does indeed have jurisdiction, as the events directly affected the country.

The Court of Appeal also determined that the central events in the indictment do not fall under the definition of a maritime accident under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, meaning Finland can proceed with criminal charges. The Eagle S is an oil tanker registered in the Cook Islands, with a crew from Georgia and India. The district court previously suggested that the suspected crimes should be handled in the crew members' home countries or the country where the tanker is registered.

The decision from October was appealed by prosecutors, Finnish electricity grid company Fingrid, Estonian grid company Elering, and Peninsular Maritime India, the operator of the Eagle S.