Cooperation with the crew has gone well, says Jari Liukku at the Finnish police at a press conference on Thursday.
The ship, which is said to be 230 meters long and is anchored in Finnish waters, is believed to have been in Russia where it was loaded with 35,000 tons of unleaded gasoline. The police say they have not been in contact with authorities in Russia.
The police suspect that it is the ship's anchor that caused the damage to the Estlink 2 power cable and questioning of the crew is ongoing. It is unclear what nationality the crew has.
The police have not seen the cable itself but are investigating suspected gross sabotage. They do not want to answer whether the damage could have occurred by accident, but note that external violence has occurred and therefore there are suspicions of external influence.
The ship is suspected of belonging to the Russian shadow fleet. Customs also suspect that the ship is violating sanctions against Russia and have launched a preliminary investigation into gross regulatory offenses.
The cable break in the Estlink 2 power cable on the Finnish side of the Gulf of Finland occurred at 12:26, Finnish time, on Christmas Day. On Boxing Day, it emerged that additional data cables between the countries had been damaged.
The conditions for a successful investigation are, according to the Finnish police, "excellent".
A no-fly zone is in effect in the area to avoid disrupting the investigation.
