Paila told Yle that the drag mark on the seabed ends at the point where the ship raised its anchor chain.

"To the east of that point, there is a drag mark stretching tens of kilometers, if not nearly a hundred kilometers," Paila said.

According to Paila, the National Bureau of Investigation has formed an initial understanding of what happened at sea.

"Our current assessment is that the drag mark in question was caused by the anchor of Eagle S. We have been able to clarify this issue through underwater investigations. These investigations were conducted in collaboration with the NBI and the Finnish Border Guard. I can say we have a preliminary understanding of what occurred at sea and how the anchor mark came to be there," Paila explained.

"This [drag mark] is likely a significant piece of evidence in the case, a very substantial one," he added.

Paila noted that conducting investigations at sea is challenging due to weather conditions, as strong winds are currently preventing further work.

He emphasized that one of the most critical parts of the investigation is determining whether the damage to the cables was intentional.

A third criminal suspicion – serious interference with telecommunications – has been added to the investigation. Previously, the case was being investigated as aggravated vandalism. In addition, the Finnish Customs Authority has launched a preliminary investigation into a serious violation under aggravated circumstances.

The Eagle S, an oil tanker registered in the Cook Islands, is suspected of damaging the EstLink 2 cable in the Gulf of Finland between Finland and Estonia last Wednesday. Finnish police and the Border Guard detained the vessel in Finnish territorial waters.

On Wednesday, a malfunction was also detected in telecommunications cables between Estonia and Finland, though it has not impacted communication services.

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