Finland uncovers sanctioned Russian steel on cable sabotage suspect ship

ERR reported the information.

As is known, the vessel Fitburg was taken under control by Finnish authorities on Wednesday, December 31, after damage was detected to a communications cable belonging to Elisa company.

According to Finnish customs, the investigation established the presence of sanctioned steel products in the ship's cargo. On the evening of December 31, armed government representatives were working at the port, unloading items from the ship. Access to the port was temporarily restricted.

As noted, during the inspection of the vessel, law enforcement officers examined the captain's bridge and removed a large object. Also, a rusty anchor was spotted on the ship's stern, which, according to preliminary data, could have caused the damage to the communications cable.

The investigation is in its initial stage. Police are not yet commenting on a possible connection of the incident with the actions of other states.

Also in previous days, three more cables were damaged – so in total, five underwater cables running from Estonia have experienced disruptions in operation.