Finland seizes cargo ship in probe of undersea cable damage; two crew arrested
HELSINKI — Finnish police said they have made progress in a criminal investigation into damage to an undersea telecommunications cable in the Gulf of Finland, seizing a cargo vessel and arresting two crew members in a case that has heightened concern over the security of critical seabed infrastructure in the Baltic Sea.
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Authorities on Wednesday detained the “Fitburg,” a freighter sailing from Russia to Israel, on suspicion it damaged a telecommunications cable owned by operator Elisa that runs between Helsinki and Estonia. Investigators said two of the ship’s 14 crew members were arrested and two others were placed under a travel ban while questioning continues.
The telecommunications cable is currently inoperable, and officials cautioned that the full extent of the damage may not be known for some time. Elisa has not publicly detailed service impacts, and Finnish authorities have not indicated when repairs might be completed.
Investigators said the Fitburg, carrying a cargo of steel products, was seen dragging its anchor in the area at the time of the incident. The vessel was boarded by Finnish authorities and brought to shore for inspection. Police have not announced any charges and have not publicly identified the individuals arrested.
The Fitburg’s 14-member crew includes nationals of Russia, Georgia, Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan, according to police. Investigators did not specify which crew members were detained or placed under travel restrictions.
Estonian President Alar Karis said he hoped the damage was not a deliberate act, adding that the ongoing joint investigation would clarify what happened. The cable runs across a heavily trafficked corridor in the Gulf of Finland, where dense commercial shipping and naval activity share constrained sea lanes.
The seizure of the Fitburg comes amid a broader pattern of damage to seabed infrastructure in the Baltic Sea region in recent years, a trend that has triggered extensive criminal inquiries and stepped-up maritime surveillance. Investigators said a Russian-linked oil tanker, the Eagle S, damaged a power cable and several telecommunications links in the Baltic Sea last year. Those incidents, along with earlier strikes on pipelines and fiber connections, have drawn attention to the vulnerability of underwater networks that underpin Europe’s energy supply and digital communications.
European officials have warned of a rise in “hybrid” threats since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, pointing to sabotage, disinformation and other tools intended to destabilize. Moscow has denied involvement in such activities. Finland, which joined NATO in 2023, has increased monitoring of key maritime chokepoints and critical infrastructure as part of a wider regional effort to deter and detect hostile acts below the threshold of open conflict.
Russia’s embassy in Helsinki said it was in contact with Finnish authorities about the Fitburg. “We hope that the situation will be resolved in a spirit of cooperation and in accordance with the relevant legal norms,” the embassy said in a statement.
Finnish police have not offered a timeline for the investigation’s next steps. For now, the focus remains on examining the Fitburg, interviewing crew and analyzing underwater evidence to determine whether the damage resulted from negligence, an accident or an intentional act — and whether any party could face criminal liability under Finnish or international law.
By Abdiwahab Ahmed
Axadle Times international–Monitoring.
