Finland and Estonia Cooperate on Investigation into Damaged Telecom Cables
The Helsinki Police confirmed that they are making progress on the investigation into the damage to a subsea cable running between Finland and Estonia as they continue to interview the crew of a detained cargo ship. They are also working with colleagues in Estonia, who are investigating the damage on two other subsea cables, and the two countries plan to work together after completing their initial efforts.
Two unidentified crewmembers from the Turkish-owned cargo ship Fitburg remain under arrest in Finland, although the police declined to provide additional details. They said two additional crewmembers have been ordered to remain in Finland during the preliminary investigation into aggravated damage and attempted damage to subsea cables.
Speaking with the Finnish media, officials said they believe the Fitburg’s anchor had been down for several hours. The cable damage happened at approximately 0500 local time on Wednesday, December 31. Officials from Estonia said the damage occurred approximately 60 kilometers (37 miles) from the Estonian coast, near the border of the economic zones between Estonia and Finland.
By the time the Fitburg was identified as the prime suspect, the vessel had sailed into the Finnish EEZ. Officials said it was decided for practical reasons that Finland should take control of the vessel and lead that portion of the investigation. Weather conditions, which were severe at the time, prevented an Estonian patrol boat from operating in the Baltic where the damage occurred.
Undersea investigations are now underway to survey the cables. They are using equipment from the Finnish Board Guard and Defence forces.
The police said interviews with the crewmembers were continuing on Friday. The crew has been cooperating, and the efforts have clarified the course of events. They also defined the different roles of the crewmembers aboard the vessel.
The Finnish Transport and Communications Agency completed a Port State inspection of the Fitburg and only identified minor deficiencies. They said the condition of the vessel was normal considering its age. Fitburg was built in 2001.
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The owners of the vessel, according to reports in the Finnish media, have retained legal counsel, and the Russian Embassy in Finland has offered its assistance. The media report said the company retained the same lawyers who defended the shadow tanker Eagle S, and that were successful in having the legal case against the captain and two crewmembers of the Eagle S dismissed in October on the grounds that the damage to cables on December 25, 2024, had happened outside Finland’s jurisdiction.
Finland’s Customs Authority is expected to release its opinion next week on the nature of sanction violations for the structural steel cargo that was loaded aboard the ship in Russia. They have seized the cargo, saying it is a violation of European Union sanctions. The Transport agency said it would also issue a full report next week on the results of the Port State Control inspection.