Helsinki court sentences 2 Fitburg crew members to prison over subsea cable damage

A district court in Finland’s capital Helsinki sentenced two crew members of the cargo ship Fitburg to unconditional prison terms for aggravated sabotage over damage to subsea cables in the Gulf of Finland on New Year’s Eve, Finnish public broadcaster Yle reported Thursday.

The Helsinki District Court sentenced Russian captain Andrei Maksimenko to three and a half years in prison and Azerbaijani boatswain Vusal Majidov to two years and 10 months.

The court ruled that the two men must have known the ship’s anchor was lowered while it was moving at sea.

It also found that it had jurisdiction to hear the case because the offenses were intentional and their effects were felt in Finland.

According to the court’s findings, the ship dragged its anchor chain along the seabed for 130 kilometers (81 miles) over several hours on the morning of New Year’s Eve, damaging two subsea telecommunications cables.

The incident also posed a risk to seven other telecommunications and power cables and a gas pipeline, the court found.

Both crew members denied committing a crime and asked the court to dismiss the charges.

The ruling is not final and can be appealed.

The case follows a similar incident involving the Eagle S, which was suspected of damaging undersea cables in the Gulf of Finland in December 2024.

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