US EditionFinland seizes vessel suspected of damaging undersea cable
Finnish authorities seized the cargo ship Fitburg and detained 14 crew amid investigation of aggravated criminal damage to a critical undersea cable linking Helsinki and Tallinn.
- On Dec 31, Finnish police seized the cargo vessel Fitburg after intercepting it in the Gulf of Finland and directing it into Finnish waters off Porkkala over suspected cable damage between Helsinki and Tallinn.
- Elisa detected a fault at around 05:00 on Wednesday and notified authorities, prompting a Finnish Border Guard patrol and helicopter to find the vessel dragging its anchor as police investigate suspected sabotage.
- A 132‑metre cargo ship, the Fitburg, was identified as the suspect; it sailed from St Petersburg to Haifa under St Vincent and the Grenadines flag, and its 14 crew members were detained.
- Cross‑border agencies are coordinating and Elisa said the damage did not affect domestic services because traffic was rerouted through alternative undersea connections, while physical repairs face delays due to adverse weather.
- Since 2023, analysts note at least 11 suspected acts in the Baltic Sea, with many experts linking these incidents to Russia and NATO officials warning of hybrid threats.
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195 Articles
The ship Fitburg is suspected of having broken a cable in the Gulf of Finland. The ship was carrying Russian steel products subject to EU sanctions, according to the Finnish Customs. The cargo has been seized. Two crew members have been arrested.
Finnish Authorities Detain Ship Over Undersea Cable Sabotage Suspicion
Could a ship dragging its anchor spark an international investigation? Apparently, yes.Finnish police have detained the Fitburg, a cargo vessel sailing from Russia to Israel. It was suspected of damaging an undersea telecoms cable linking Helsinki and Estonia.All 14 crew members—Russian, Georgian, Kazakh, and Azerbaijani nationals—were arrested. Fortunately, the telecom operator Elisa said its services weren’t affected, with data quickly reroute…
The ship was said to have transported Russian steel when it destroyed a communication cable with a lowered anchor. Finland captured 14 crew members.
On Wednesday, the Finnish authorities intercepted a ship from Russia, suspected of sabotaging a submarine telecommunications cable from Helsinki to Estonia, through the Gulf of Finland. The cargo ship, Fitburg, made the route from St. Petersburg to the port of Haifa, in Israel, according to the Finnish Border Guard. The incident coincided with an increase in hybrid attacks by the Kremlin in the Baltic Sea area, bordered by countries members of t…
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