Finnish authorities say they have charged the captain and two senior officers of a Russia-linked vessel that damaged undersea cables last year between Finland and Estonia.

Finland's national prosecutor's office said on Monday it had brought charges against the captain and first and second officers of the Eagle S oil tanker over the cutting of undersea cables in the Gulf of Finland in December.

The ship, suspected to be part of a “shadow fleet” of oil tankers used by Russia, allegedly dragged its anchor across the seabed for miles, damaging five underwater cables.