Cable connecting Finland and Estonia damaged again in the Gulf of Finland

Photo: yle.fi

According to Elisa company, thanks to the network's redundant structure, the incident did not affect service provision in both countries. However, some individual customers using leased direct channel connections via this cable might have experienced difficulties.

The company noted that they are in contact with affected customers and have already activated alternative cables to restore the connection. Preparations for repairing the damaged section have also begun.

Finnish President Alexander Stubb also reacted to the situation. He reported that Finnish authorities had inspected a vessel suspected of involvement in the damage to the underwater cables in the Gulf of Finland. The head of state thanked the Border Guard, police, defense forces, regulators, and other services for their coordinated work and effective cooperation.

According to him, the authorities continue to closely monitor developments. The President emphasized that Finland is ready for various security challenges and responds promptly to them when necessary.

It became known that Finland detained the vessel "Fitburg" under the flag of the Caribbean island state of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, which was moving in the area of the damaged telecommunication cable.

As reported by the publication Yle, the suspicious vessel was discovered in Finland's exclusive economic zone by the patrol vessel "Turva" and a Border Guard helicopter. Border guards noticed that the vessel's anchor chain was in the water. The crew was subsequently asked to raise anchor and proceed to Finnish territorial waters.

According to Marinetraffic service data, the vessel is currently located near the coast of the Porkkala peninsula and was headed for the Israeli port of Haifa. Yle notes that "Fitburg" and its IMO number are not included in official sanctions lists. However, in the Open Sanctions database, the vessel is marked as "interesting" because it was linked to the sanctioned "Russian Maritime Register of Shipping."

This is not the first such incident in the region. A year ago, on December 25, 2024, the Estlink 2 underwater power cable, which connects Finland and Estonia, was also damaged in the Gulf of Finland. At that time, two Elisa communication cables and one CITIC Telecom cable were also affected. According to media reports, two vessels were near the damage site, one of which was later detained.

After that incident, Estonian Prime Minister Kristen Michal stated the need to strengthen the protection of critical infrastructure, not excluding the involvement of NATO allies in this endeavor.

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