Captain Andrey Maximenkov, 57 years old and a citizen of Russia, and Deckhand Vasal Majidov, 48 years old and from Azerbaijan, were sentenced to prison by the Helsinki District Court for intentionally damaging two underwater cables and creating a risk to other assets in the incident of dragging the anchor of the Fitberg tanker in 2025. This case is seen as the first conviction in what is recognized as a campaign of Russia's hybrid warfare.
Details of the Incident and Charges
The case pertains to the intentional dragging of the anchor of the Fitberg tanker in the Gulf of Finland, which resulted in damage to two underwater communication cables between Finland and Estonia, crossing seven other cables and a gas pipeline. The court, citing evidence, determined that the Fitberg tanker left Saint Petersburg, Russia, on December 30, 2025, with its anchor raised at the time of departure. However, evidence showed that the anchor ultimately went down while crossing the border into international waters, with signs of dragging identified on the seabed over a length of 130 kilometers.
Ruling and Consequences
The court, considering the depth of the dangers posed by this act to society, sentenced Andrey Maximenkov to 3 years and 6 months in prison and Vasal Majidov to 2 years and 10 months in prison. Additionally, the two men were ordered to pay a total of €1.9 million (equivalent to $2.13 million) for the costs of repairing and inspecting the cables and gas pipeline. The captain's lawyers stated that they intend to appeal this ruling.
This case reflects the judiciary's special attention to infrastructure security issues and their impact on society. The court regarded this act as a form of sabotage that was carried out intentionally and emphasized the importance of protecting the country's critical infrastructure.
