Finnish police detained a cargo vessel suspected of damaging an undersea telecoms cable running between Helsinki, Finland, and Estonia across the Gulf of Finland. The vessel, named the Fitburg, was sailing from St. Petersburg, Russia, to Haifa, Israel, under the flag of St. Vincent and Grenadines, according to a statement released by the Finnish coast guard. All 14 crew members were arrested in connection with the incident.

The damaged cable is 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," and that its services had been re-routed. Police are investigating the incident as "aggravated disruption of telecommunications."

The Baltic Sea region has experienced a series of incidents involving damage to underwater cables in recent years. These incidents have raised concerns about the vulnerability of critical infrastructure and the potential for deliberate sabotage. Many experts and political leaders have characterized these incidents as elements of a "hybrid war" allegedly waged by Russia against Western countries, a concern that has intensified since the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

The investigation is ongoing, and Finnish authorities have not yet released specific details about the suspected method of sabotage or the evidence linking the Fitburg to the damage. The incident highlights the growing importance of protecting undersea cables, which carry vast amounts of data and are essential for global communications and commerce. The reliance on these cables also raises questions about their security and resilience in the face of potential threats, both physical and cyber. The incident also underscores the need for international cooperation in monitoring and safeguarding critical infrastructure in the Baltic Sea and other strategic waterways.