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Finland detains vessel, holds 14 after ship damages underwater cable

The seized ship Fitburg lies in the port of Kirkkonummi, Finland. Finnish authorities have seized the vessel, suspected of damaging an undersea cable between Helsinki and Tallinn, after apprehending it in Finland’s exclusive economic zone. (Roni Rekomaa/Lehtikuva/dpa/TNS) (Roni Rekomaa/dpa/TNS)
By Christoph Meyer german press agency

COPENHAGEN, Denmark – Finnish police arrested 14 people and detained a ship after the vessel was found with its anchor lowered into the water in the vicinity of a freshly damaged underwater cable, according to reports on Wednesday.

The freighter, called Fitburg, was sailing under the flag of the Caribbean state of St. Vincent and the Grenadines. The crew members arrested were of Russian, Georgian, Azerbaijani and Kazakh nationality, according to a report by Finnish broadcaster Yle, citing a police press conference.

Telecoms provider Elisa reported the disturbance of the cable connecting the Finnish capital Helsinki with the Estonian capital Tallinn via the Gulf of Finland early in the morning, police said.

The coast guard then spotted a ship in the Finnish economic zone that is suspected of having caused the damage in the Estonian zone.

“The ship’s anchor chain had been lowered into the water,” the statement said.

Finnish authorities took control of the ship after it was guided to a safe anchorage in Finnish waters. The type of vessel involved was initially unclear.

The Fitburg had departed from the Russian port of St. Petersburg bound for Haifa, Israel, according to the Finnish newspaper Helsingin Sanomat.

Estonian Prime Minister Kristen Michal told broadcaster ERR that, based on initial findings, the ship does not belong to the Russian shadow fleet.

The Finnish police are investigating the incident as aggravated criminal damage, attempted aggravated criminal damage, and aggravated interference with telecommunications.

Estonian Minister of Justice and Digital Affairs Liisa Pakosta said the damage would have no impact on data connections in the country, as they were secured by other sea cables or land cables running to Latvia.

“This system ensures the resilience of our cross-border internet connection and information systems in any situation,” Pakosta said.

Finland’s President Alexander Stubb wrote on X that the government was in close consultation with local authorities over the incident. “Finland is prepared for security challenges of various kinds, and we respond to them as necessary,” said Stubb.

Russian shadow fleet suspected behind similar incidentsThe incident is reminiscent of similar events just a year ago. On December 25, 2024, damage occurred to the Estlink 2 undersea power cable running between Finland and Estonia and to several communication cables.

Finnish authorities believe that the damage was caused by the anchor chain of the tanker Eagle S, which is believed to belong to the Russian shadow fleet.

Charges have since been brought against the captain and two other crew members.

Russia’s shadow fleet refers to tankers and other cargo ships that Moscow uses to circumvent sanctions imposed on the country as a result of its war in Ukraine.