Finnish authorities have wrapped up a probe into damage to two undersea telecom cables in the Baltic Sea late last year, including one in Estonia’s economic waters.
Finnish authorities detained the cargo vessel Fitburg on December 31 as it traveled from St. Petersburg to the Israeli port of Haifa.
The National Bureau of Investigation (KRP) suspects the Fitburg caused an outage to an Elisa-owned telecommunications cable linking Finland and Estonia on New Year’s Eve.
Authorities say the damage occurred in Estonia’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ).
Four individuals are suspected in the case, three of whom remain under travel restrictions. Prosecutors will now decide whether to bring charges.
The Fitburg was also reportedly carrying sanctioned goods, though Finnish Customs later said it would not launch a separate probe into sanctions violations.
The Saint Vincent and the Grenadines-flagged ship is owned and managed through Turkish-based companies with ties to Russia.
Finnish investigators worked closely with Estonia’s Central Criminal Police throughout the investigation.
—
