The outlet interviewed sources familiar with the events of December 25 and 26 and described how they unfolded in the government and law enforcement agencies after the electricity cable EstLink 2 was damaged, and why they had to move so rapidly.

The paper reported that if the Eagle S had not been stopped it would have continued its journey and broken the Finnish-Estonian electricity cable Estlink 1 within 30 minutes.

The Balticconnector gas pipeline, which was ripped apart by a Chinese cargo ship's anchor in 2013, would have been reached within an hour, it said.

While the vessel had already lost its anchor by that point – as the border guard visually confirmed – the long and heavy anchor chain could still have inflicted significant damage on the cable and pipeline, Helsingin Sanomat wrote.

This is why the authorities intervened so quickly to stop the vessel, the outlet reported.

If EstLink 1 had been cut it would have significantly weakened Estonia's electricity supply.

Four other data cables – linking Finland with Estonia and Germany – were broken on December 25. 

Finnish law enforcement agencies are investigating the damage to EstLink 2 as aggravated vandalism. Eagle S sails under a Cook Islands and is linked to Russia's sanction-evading shadow fleet.

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