Finnish police seize Russian-linked ship after subsea cable damage

Finnish police have seized a cargo vessel linked to Russia after damage to an underwater telecoms cable owned by Finnish operator Elisa. Authorities identified the ship as the Fitburg, sailing under the flag of St Vincent and the Grenadines. It had departed from St Petersburg and was en route to Haifa, Israel, when Finnish authorities, using a helicopter as part of a joint operation, took control of the vessel. The damaged cable is classed as part of Finland’s critical underwater infrastructure.

Police are investigating the incident as suspected aggravated damage, attempted aggravated damage and aggravated interference with telecommunications. The Border Guard said it has consulted the Prosecutor General’s Office, which has issued an indictment. President Alexander Stubb said on X that Finland is closely monitoring the situation and is prepared to respond to security challenges. The European Commission’s executive vice-president for tech sovereignty, security and democracy, Henna Virkkunen, said the EU will fund a monitoring hub for submarine cable threats in the Baltic Sea and expand funding for cable repair capacity from 2026. The case follows other recent Baltic Sea incidents involving Russian-linked vessels and subsea infrastructure, including a 2024 investigation into cable damage that was dropped for lack of proof of intent.