Finland sentences two Fitburg sailors over damaged subsea cables
Helsinki District Court sentenced the Fitburg cargo ship’s captain to three years and six months in prison and its boatswain to two years and ten months on 5 November 2026 over damage to two subsea telecom cables.
The incident occurred in the Gulf of Finland on 31 December 2025. According to the court cited by Reuters, the men acted intentionally when the ship dragged its anchor chain and anchor shank along approximately 130 kilometres of seabed.
The defendants deny wrongdoing and contest Finnish jurisdiction. The captain’s lawyer says he will appeal; the boatswain’s lawyer says his client has not yet decided. The conviction should therefore not be presented as final.
The infrastructure links Finland and Estonia. The reported judgment concerns the two sailors’ responsibilities; it does not establish responsibility on the part of a government.