The Finnish Coast Guard launched an investigation into the Fitburg, a 9,900 dwt cargo ship owned by a Turkish businessman with links to Russia

 The captain and bosun of a small cargo ship have been charged by Finnish prosecutors. The pair are alleged to have damaged two subsea telecoms cables on 31 December. The damaged cables, which ran between Finland and Estonia, were owned by Elisa Oyj and Arelion Finland Oy. The pair were attempting to damage more cables when the ship was stopped. Prosecutors said that a decision on possible charges against the two other detained cargo ship officers will be made at a later date.

The Russian captain and the Azerbaijani bosun were each charged with 'aggravated criminal mischief' and 'aggravated interference with telecommunications'. According to prosecutors, the charges also include alternative indictments, with newspaper reports stating that the offences carry prison sentences ranging from two to ten years.

The problems started on 31 December 2025,

The problems started on 31 December 2025, when the Finnish phone company Elisa said there was a problem with one of the cables between Estonia and Finland. Subsequently, the Swedish telecoms company Arelion reported a similar interruption to another cable between the two countries. 

 An investigation and initially identified three ships

The Finnish Coast Guard  ( RAHA ) launched an investigation and initially identified three ships, but within a matter of hours had focused on the Fitburg, a 9,900 dwt cargo ship owned by a Turkish businessman with links to Russia. The ship had departed from Saint Petersburg the previous day and was spotted by the Coast Guard moving from the Estonian to the Finnish exclusive economic zone (EEZ) with its anchor down.

Related: Details: Ship seized in Finland suspected of cable damage was carrying sanctioned Russian steel

 Possible sanctions violations

The ship was ordered to stop, and its anchor was raised by the Coast Guard. Finnish troops boarded the ship for an inspection and directed it into a Finnish anchorage. Several investigations were launched, including one into possible sanctions violations. The ship was released after around two weeks, but the captain and three others were detained in Finland. The bosun was initially held in pre-trial detention, but was released in March.

Prosecutors report that the anchor was dragged for 130 kilometres (more than 80 miles) and assert that the ship was attempting to damage up to eight other subsea connections. In addition to damaging the telecoms lines, the prosecutors said the electricity and gas networks were also in danger

The pair have denied the charges

The pair have denied the charges, and it is not yet clear what will happen next. Their lawyers are challenging Finland's jurisdiction in the case, arguing that the cables were outside Finnish territorial waters. The prosecutors said this would be an issue. They are facing charges of aggravated criminal mischief and aggravated interference with telecommunications, with alternative indictments also filed. The case has been submitted to the Helsinki District Court, which will set a hearing date and, if necessary, decide whether Finland has jurisdiction. 

The 'shadow tanker' Eagle S

Notably, in 2025, Finnish prosecutors failed to convict three crew members from the 'shadow tanker' Eagle S  (IMO 9329760, MMSI 518998865 -sailing under the flag of the Cook Islands. ) on similar charges. The court ruled that Finland did not have jurisdiction due to the location of the damage, but the prosecutors have appealed against this decision. 

About: The Finnish Coast Guard 

The Finnish Coast Guard (part of the Finnish Border Guard) is a multi-mission security and law enforcement agency operating under the Ministry of the Interior. It is primarily responsible for maritime search and rescue (SAR), border surveillance, crime prevention, and marine pollution response along Finland’s extensive coastline.

About: The Fitburg 

The Fitburg is a 132-metre (433-foot) general cargo ship that has been owned and operated by a Turkish company since 2021. Registered in St Vincent and the Grenadines, the ship had 14 crew members on board when the incident occurred. Finnish Customs seized the cargo of structural steel, believing it to be in violation of EU sanctions. However, since the ship had not planned to stop in Finland, it was released on a technicality.

Source: Maritime Executive + others

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