Finland Escalates Probe After Seizing Ship in Suspected Baltic Sea Cable Sabotage

Police have arrested two people, imposed travel bans, and transferred the investigation to Finland’s National Bureau of Investigation.
Finland Escalates Probe After Seizing Ship in Suspected Baltic Sea Cable Sabotage
The seized vessel Fitburg rests in the harbor in Kirkkonummi, Finland, on Dec. 31, 2025. Roni Rekomaa/Lehtikuva via AP
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Finland seized a cargo ship sailing from St. Petersburg, Russia, on Dec. 31 and has since escalated its criminal investigation on suspicion of sabotaging an undersea telecommunications cable running from Helsinki to Estonia across the Gulf of Finland.

The seized vessel, named Fitburg, was en route to Israel from the Russian port at the time and was escorted by Finnish authorities to Kantvik harbour at around 5 p.m. local time on Dec. 31, according to a Jan. 1 statement from Finnish police.
Guy Birchall
Guy Birchall
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Guy Birchall is a UK-based journalist covering a wide range of national stories with a particular interest in freedom of expression and social issues.