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Finland Detains Russian-Linked Ship Over Suspected Undersea Cable Damage

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Liubava Petriv
News Writer
Finland Detains Russian-Linked Ship Over Suspected Undersea Cable Damage
A Finnish police officer stands on the Fitburg, a 132-meter-long cargo ship, as it is anchored in the harbour after being seized by Finnish authorities in Kirkkonummi on December 31, 2025. (Source: Getty Images)

Finnish authorities have detained the cargo vessel Fritzburg after it was observed in the country’s exclusive economic zone under suspicious circumstances. The ship is being investigated for potential involvement in the damage of an undersea telecommunications cable in the Gulf of Finland.

According to Finnish public broadcaster Yle and Reuters on December 31, a Finnish border patrol vessel and helicopter identified the ship after noticing its anchor chain was lowered into the sea—a detail that raised immediate concern.

Authorities ordered the ship to lift anchor and proceed to Finnish territorial waters for inspection.

The Fritzburg, sailing under the flag of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, was traveling from Saint Petersburg, Russia, to Israel. The vessel is currently positioned near the coast of the Porkkala Peninsula, based on maritime tracking data from MarineTraffic.

At a press briefing in Helsinki, Helsinki Police Chief Jari Liukku said the case involves suspicions of serious damage to telecommunications infrastructure, and both sabotage and attempted sabotage are being investigated.

Finnish law enforcement confirmed that 14 crew members—nationals of Russia, Georgia, Kazakhstan, and Azerbaijan—have been detained for questioning. No charges have been filed at this stage of the investigation.

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Although the vessel and its IMO number are not listed in official sanctions registries, it is flagged in the Open Sanctions database as “of interest” due to links with the Russian Maritime Register of Shipping, which is under international sanctions.

Earlier, it was reported that Germany has prepared a classified national defense strategy in the event of a military conflict.

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