Finnish police detained a cargo vessel suspected of damaging an undersea telecommunications cable running between Helsinki, Finland, and Estonia across the Gulf of Finland. The vessel, named the Fitburg, was sailing from St. Petersburg to Haifa, Israel, under the flag of St. Vincent and Grenadines when it was intercepted.

All 14 crew members were arrested following the damage to the cable owned by Finnish telecoms operator Elisa. In a statement, Elisa reported that the damage "had not affected the functionality of Elisa's services in any way," as services were immediately re-routed.

The incident occurs amidst growing concerns about the security of underwater infrastructure in the Baltic Sea. A series of incidents involving damaged or severed underwater cables in recent years has prompted speculation and investigations into potential causes, including deliberate sabotage. Many experts and political leaders have characterized these incidents as potential acts of "hybrid war" waged by Russia against Western nations, a concern that has intensified since the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

Finnish police are investigating the incident as "aggravated disruption of telecommunications" and "aggravated damage." The Finnish coastguard approached and detained the vessel.

The investigation into the Fitburg incident is ongoing, and authorities are working to determine the precise cause of the cable damage and whether it was intentional. The incident highlights the vulnerability of critical undersea infrastructure and the potential for disruption to international communications networks.