Police in Finland arrest 2 members of cargo ship’s crew in connection with damage to undersea cable

Finnish authorities have arrested two crew members from a cargo ship suspected of damaging a critical undersea telecommunications cable between Finland and Estonia, police announced Thursday. The damage to the cable, which belongs to Finnish telecommunications provider Elisa, was discovered early Wednesday in Estonia’s exclusive economic zone.

Helsinki police have launched an investigation into multiple serious charges, including aggravated criminal damage, attempted aggravated criminal damage, and aggravated interference with telecommunications. Two additional crew members have been placed under travel bans as part of the ongoing investigation.

The vessel in question, the Fitburg, flies the flag of St. Vincent and the Grenadines and was traveling from Russia to Israel when the incident occurred. Its 14 crew members, citizens of Russia, Georgia, Azerbaijan, and Kazakhstan, were detained by Finnish authorities following the discovery.

Finnish National Police Commissioner Ilkka Koskimäki revealed earlier this week that the ship had been dragging its anchor for hours when it was located in Finland’s exclusive economic zone. However, investigators are not yet speculating whether a state-level actor might be behind the damage.

Complicating matters, Finnish Customs discovered the ship was carrying structural steel originating from Russia, which falls under European Union sanctions. “Import of such sanctioned goods into the EU is prohibited under EU sanctions regulations,” Finnish Customs stated, adding that they continue to investigate both the sequence of events and the applicability of EU sanctions to this case.

The damaged cable represents part of critical infrastructure in the Baltic Sea region. Undersea cables and pipelines crisscross one of Europe’s busiest shipping lanes, connecting Nordic, Baltic, and central European countries. These vital networks support trade and energy security while often reducing dependence on Russian energy resources.

This incident bears striking similarities to a case from last year when Finnish authorities charged the captain and two senior officers of the Russia-linked vessel Eagle S for damaging undersea cables between Finland and Estonia on Christmas Day 2023. Those charges included aggravated criminal mischief and aggravated interference with communications.

However, that case hit a legal roadblock when a Finnish court dismissed the charges in October because the damaged cables were located outside Finland’s territorial waters. The accused officers had denied all allegations.

The Eagle S was officially flagged in the Cook Islands but had been identified by Finnish customs officials and the European Union’s executive commission as part of what they call Russia’s “shadow fleet” of fuel tankers—aging vessels with obscure ownership structures, acquired specifically to circumvent Western sanctions imposed during the war in Ukraine.

While the Kremlin has previously denied involvement in damaging such infrastructure, which provides power and communication services to thousands of Europeans, Western intelligence agencies view these incidents as potentially part of a broader pattern of sabotage across Europe allegedly linked to Moscow following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

The Baltic Sea region has become increasingly vigilant about protecting its critical infrastructure, with NATO and EU countries enhancing surveillance and security measures around vital underwater installations. Telecommunications cables are particularly vulnerable points in national security infrastructure, as their damage can disrupt essential communications and data transfer between countries.

As the investigation continues, Finnish authorities remain tight-lipped about specific details, including the ranks of the detained crew members, their nationalities, and other potentially sensitive information that could compromise the ongoing investigation.