Finnish law enforcement has taken decisive action following damage to critical underwater telecommunications infrastructure in the Gulf of Finland. Authorities confirmed Thursday the arrest of two individuals connected to the incident involving the cable belonging to Finnish telecommunications provider Elisa, which was damaged earlier this week between the capitals of Finland and Estonia.
The damage, discovered Wednesday within Estonia’s exclusive economic zone, has prompted Helsinki police to launch a comprehensive investigation into charges of aggravated criminal damage, attempted aggravated criminal damage, and aggravated interference with telecommunications. In addition to the arrests, officials have imposed travel bans on two other persons of interest as the probe continues.
The investigation centers on the vessel Fitburg, registered under the flag of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, which was transiting from Russia to Israel when the incident occurred. Finnish National Police Commissioner Ilkka Koskimäki revealed that the ship had been dragging its anchor for hours within Finland’s exclusive economic zone prior to the discovery of the cable damage. The ship’s 14 crew members, representing Russian, Georgian, Azerbaijani, and Kazakh nationalities, remain detained by Finnish authorities.
Adding complexity to the case, Finnish Customs officials discovered structural steel in the vessel’s cargo that originated from Russia and falls under European Union sanctions. ‘Import of such sanctioned goods into the EU is prohibited under EU sanctions regulations,’ customs authorities stated, confirming their ongoing investigation into potential sanctions violations.
This incident marks the second occurrence within a year involving damage to critical underwater infrastructure between Finland and Estonia. In a related case from Christmas Day 2024, Finnish authorities charged the captain and two senior officers of the Russia-linked oil tanker Eagle S with similar offenses. That vessel had been identified as part of Russia’s ‘shadow fleet’ of aging tankers with obscure ownership structures allegedly designed to evade Western sanctions during the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.
Western security experts have increasingly viewed such incidents as potential components of widespread sabotage operations in Europe allegedly connected to Moscow following the 2022 invasion of Ukraine. These underwater cables and pipelines represent vital infrastructure that facilitates trade, energy security, and reduced dependence on Russian energy resources across Nordic, Baltic, and central European nations.
Police officials have refrained from speculating about potential state-level involvement in the current case, maintaining that their investigation remains focused on establishing factual evidence and determining applicable legal violations under both Finnish law and EU sanctions regulations.