Fitburg crew charged with damaging undersea cables in Gulf of Finland

The captain and mate of the cargo ship Fitburg are facing charges in the Helsinki District Court for aggravated vandalism and aggravated interference with telecommunications. The charges stem from an incident on New Year's Eve, 2025, in the Gulf of Finland, where the vessel allegedly dragged a broken anchor along the seabed for at least 130 kilometers.

Prosecutors allege that the dragging anchor damaged two undersea telecommunications cables belonging to Elisa and Arelion between Finland and Estonia, and attempted to damage eight other undersea connections. The incident posed a serious risk to telecommunications, electricity, and gas networks in Finland.

The Fitburg, which flies the flag of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines but is operated by a Turkish company, was intercepted by Finnish authorities, including the Karhu police unit and the Coast Guard, after it was discovered the anchor chain was deployed while the ship was moving. The vessel was diverted to Kirkkonummi. The defendants have denied the charges and contested Finland's jurisdiction, arguing the damage occurred outside Finnish territorial waters.