A data cable between Helsinki and Tallinn has been damaged in the Gulf of Finland, and a suspected ship with a crew of 14 has been seized. The vessel Fitburg was towed to a port outside Helsinki for inspection. The incident is being investigated as suspected sabotage.
A data communication cable between Helsinki and Tallinn was damaged on the morning of New Year's Eve in Estonia's economic zone in the Gulf of Finland. The cable is owned by the Finnish telecom company Elisa. Finland's border guard identified a suspected vessel, Fitburg, believed to be behind the damage. The 132-meter-long ship, sailing under the flag of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, was en route from St. Petersburg in Russia to Haifa in Israel.
The ship was spotted by the border guard vessel Turva and a helicopter in Finnish waters, with its anchor chain in the water. It was escorted in and towed during the afternoon to the port in Kantvik, Kirkkonummi west of Helsinki. The crew of 14, from Russia, Georgia, Kazakhstan, and Azerbaijan, are being held isolated on the ship and will be questioned by police.
Customs has inspected the ship and seized the cargo to check for sanctions violations. It is unclear if Fitburg belongs to the Russian shadow fleet, but it is listed as a vessel of interest by the organization Open Sanctions, according to Yle. The case is being investigated by Finnish police as suspected gross vandalism, attempted gross vandalism, and gross disruption of postal and telecom traffic. The chief prosecutor has issued an indictment order.
Finland's President Alexander Stubb commented on X: 'Finland is prepared for security challenges of various kinds, and we respond to them as needed.' Prime Minister Petteri Orpo wrote: 'The Finnish authorities are functioning,' adding that the government is closely following the situation.
Additionally, Estonia's Justice Department announced that a Swedish sea cable between Estonia and Sweden has been damaged, owned by the company Arelion. Experts note that it is difficult to prove intent in such cable breaks, which have increased in number in the Baltic Sea in recent years, but without evidence of sabotage in previous cases.
