A cargo ship suspected of damaging the underwater telecommunications cable between Helsinki and Tallinn has been reported to be carrying Russian-origin steel products subject to European Union sanctions. According to a statement from the Finnish Customs Authority, the ship measures 132 meters in length.
In Finland, a cargo ship suspected of damaging the underwater telecommunications cable between Helsinki and Tallinn has been reported to be carrying Russian-origin steel products subject to European Union sanctions.
According to a statement from the Finnish Customs Administration, the 132-meter-long cargo ship named Fitburg was stopped on December 31 while en route from Russia's St. Petersburg port to Israel's Haifa port. It is suspected that the ship's anchor caused damage to the underwater communication cable in the Gulf of Finland.
Customs officials indicated that the cargo on board consists of structural steel products originating from Russia, which are subject to the EU's sectoral sanctions. According to expert assessments, the steel in question is among the products whose import and transport are restricted under the sanctions.
Fourteen crew members, including citizens of Russia, Georgia, Azerbaijan, and Kazakhstan, aboard the St. Vincent and the Grenadines-flagged vessel have been detained. Two crew members have been arrested, while travel bans have been imposed on two others.
The Finnish police are conducting an investigation into the incident under charges of "aggravated damage to property," "aggravated attempt," and "serious interference with telecommunications."
Officials have noted that there has been an increase in similar incidents targeting energy and communication infrastructure in the Baltic Sea in recent years, stating that these cases are evaluated within the context of "hybrid warfare" following Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
Source: www.denizhaber.com
