Russian captain charged over Baltic cable damage

Finnish prosecutors have charged the Russian captain of the cargo ship Fitburg and an Azerbaijani boatswain with intentional damage and disruption of communication facilities under aggravating circumstances. The ship was stopped on December 31, 2025, after its anchor allegedly dragged along the seabed for at least 130 kilometers, damaging two underwater cables between Finland and Estonia in the Baltic Sea. The vessel was traveling from Russia to Israel at the time. The case highlights ongoing concerns over critical infrastructure security in the Baltic region.