The damaged cable is owned by Finnish telecommunications provider Elisa and is considered part of the country’s critical underwater infrastructure.

Police identified the vessel as the Fitburg, which is registered under the flag of St Vincent and Grenadines. 

The ship had departed from the Russian port of St Petersburg and was heading to Haifa in Israel, according to MarineTraffic data.

The ship has been identified as a vessel from Fitburg, which had sailed from Russia and was travelling towards Israel. Police said a helicopter was deployed to locate the ship before authorities took “control of the vessel as part of a joint operation”.

In a post on X, Finland’s President Alexander Stubb said: “We are monitoring the situation in close cooperation with the government. Finland is prepared for security challenges of various kinds and we respond to them as necessary.”

“The police have been in contact with the Prosecutor General’s Office and the Prosecutor General has issued a relevant indictment,” the Border Guard stated. “

The police are currently investigating the events under the criminal charges of suspected aggravated damage, suspected attempted aggravated damage and suspected aggravated interference with telecommunications.”

The European Commission’s EVP for tech sovereignty, security and democracy, Henna Virkkunen, also wrote on X: “In line with the Action Plan on Cable Security, we will fund a hub to monitor submarine cable threats and enable quick responses at the Baltic Sea area. 

“More funding for cable repair capability will be available in early 2026,” she continued,

The incident comes amid heightened security concerns in the Baltic Sea region. 

In December 2024, Finnish authorities investigated a Russian-linked oil tanker accused of damaging undersea power and telecoms cables, though the case was later dismissed due to lack of proof of intent.

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