Finnish Police Arrest Fitburg Crew Suspected of Sabotaging Elisa Undersea Cable Linking Finland and Estonia

Finnish authorities seized the cargo vessel Fitburg after an undersea telecommunications cable linking Helsinki and Tallinn — owned by Finnish operator Elisa — was found damaged early on New Year’s Eve.

“Finnish authorities have arrested two people in connection with damage to an undersea telecommunications cable in the Gulf of Finland HELSINKI --Finnish authorities have arrested two people in connection withdamage to an undersea telecommunications cablein the Gulf of Finland that occurred earlier this week between the capitals of Finland and Estonia, police said Thursday”

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They took the ship and its crew into custody for questioning.

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Officials located the vessel in Finland’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ) with its anchor chain lowered and reportedly dragging on the seabed.

The Fitburg, flagged to St Vincent and the Grenadines and sailing from St. Petersburg to Haifa, had 14 crew members from Russia, Georgia, Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan.

Police opened an investigation into aggravated criminal damage, attempted aggravated criminal damage and aggravated interference with telecommunications.

The Border Guard, police and other agencies coordinated the response.

Finnish investigators have opened a criminal probe and are using multi-agency resources and underwater survey equipment to determine whether the Fitburg caused the break.

Authorities are investigating aggravated criminal damage, attempted aggravated criminal damage, and aggravated interference with telecommunications.

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Agencies involved include the Border Guard, National Bureau of Investigation, coast guard and defence forces.

Crime-scene work at the seabed has employed underwater robots, side-scan sonar and multi-beam echo sounders to assess the damage and establish causation.

Finnish Customs said the Fitburg was carrying structural steel of Russian origin that may be subject to EU sanctions, and authorities are probing whether sanctions rules apply.

“LONDON Finnish police have formally arrested two crew members of the Fitburg, a vessel suspected of damaging a submarine telecommunications cable in the Gulf of Finland, public broadcaster Yle reported on Friday”

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Customs reports and several outlets highlighted the cargo seizure alongside the criminal probe, adding a sanctions-compliance angle to the case and prompting international interest in the vessel's commercial ties and destination.

The case has been reported alongside a series of recent incidents in the Baltic Sea.

Western officials and many news outlets have linked those incidents to a wider pattern of 'hybrid' attacks and a so-called 'shadow fleet' of vessels operating amid Russia’s war in Ukraine.

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Authorities and NATO have increased monitoring.

At the same time, several outlets caution it is too early to conclude whether the Fitburg’s actions were deliberate.

They note bad weather has been blamed for some past cable faults and prosecutors have not ruled out an accident.

Reports vary on immediate legal outcomes and numbers.

“European countries are on high alert after a suspected sabotage of underwater infrastructure”

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Some outlets say two crew members were formally arrested and two others were placed under travel bans.

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Other outlets report all 14 crew were detained and are being questioned.

The damaged point lies in Estonia's EEZ.

Finland carried out the interception and moved the Fitburg into Finnish territorial waters.

Responsibility for the probe has been transferred to Helsinki police, and Finnish prosecutors are coordinating with Estonian authorities.