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2 clusters · 3 sources · 6 days · First seen · Last updated

Fitburg crew undersea cable damage legal proceedings

Overview

The captain and mate of the cargo ship Fitburg are facing trial in the Helsinki District Court for allegedly damaging undersea telecommunications cables in the Gulf of Finland. The incident, which occurred around the turn of the year between 2025 and 2026, involved the vessel dragging a broken anchor and anchor chain along the seabed for approximately 130 kilometers.

Prosecutors allege the actions caused damage to fiber optic cables belonging to Elisa and Arelion, posing a “serious risk to telecommunications, electricity, and gas networks in Finland.” The defendants face charges of aggravated vandalism and aggravated interference with telecommunications, with prosecutors seeking at least 2.5 years of unconditional imprisonment.

The defendants have denied all charges. The captain, Andrei Maksimenko, has contested Finland's jurisdiction, arguing the damage occurred outside Finnish territorial waters, and maintains that the vessel was following maritime charts and was under tow from Saint Petersburg at the time.

Entities

Helsinki District Court · Elisa · Fitburg · Arelion · Arelion Finland

Timeline

  1. 9 days ago

    [CRIME] 2 sources
    Fitburg crew faces trial for damaging undersea cables

    The Helsinki District Court is hearing charges against the captain and mate of the Fitburg for allegedly damaging undersea telecommunications cables in the Gulf of Finland.

  2. 15 days ago

    [CRIME] 2 sources
    Fitburg crew charged with damaging undersea cables in Gulf of Finland

    The captain and mate of the Fitburg cargo ship face charges in Finland for damaging undersea telecommunications cables in the Gulf of Finland after dragging an anchor for 130 kilometers.

Sources

iltalehti.fi · maaseuduntulevaisuus.fi · sss.fi