Finland Jails Russian Captain and Azerbaijani Crew Member Over Baltic Sea Cable Damage

A Finnish court has sentenced a Russian ship captain and an Azerbaijani crew member to prison for aggravated sabotage linked to damage to two undersea telecommunications cables in the Gulf of Finland. The incident involved the cargo vessel Fitburg, which was seized by Finnish authorities on December 31 while travelling from Russia to Israel on suspicion of damaging cables connecting Helsinki and Estonia.

The Helsinki District Court sentenced the captain to three years and six months in prison and the crew member to two years and ten months. According to the court, both acted intentionally when the vessel dragged its anchor chain and anchor shank along the seabed for approximately 130 kilometres, damaging critical underwater infrastructure.

The court also ordered the two men to jointly pay around €1.9 million in damages, with the captain required to pay an additional €85,000. Both defendants have denied wrongdoing and challenged Finland’s jurisdiction. The captain plans to appeal the verdict, while the crew member is still considering his options. The case comes amid growing concerns over suspected sabotage targeting undersea cables and pipelines across the Baltic Sea.

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