The Helsinki District Court sentenced the captain and a crew member of the public tanker Fitburg to prison for intentionally damaging two underwater communication cables in the Gulf of Finland on New Year's Eve last year.
Conviction and Punishment
The Russian captain, Andrey Maximenkov, was sentenced to three and a half years in prison, while the Azerbaijani crew member, Vusal Majidov, received a sentence of two years and ten months. The two were also required to pay damages to the underwater infrastructure. The court ruled that the two, who were under a travel ban during the trial, should be immediately transferred to prison.
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History of Destruction and Investigations
This case pertains to the tanker Fitburg, which is registered under the flag of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. The vessel was stopped by Finnish authorities on December 31, 2025, while traveling from St. Petersburg to Israel, carrying a cargo of steel products. Investigations revealed that the ship had dragged its damaged anchor and chain approximately 130 kilometers along the seabed, causing damage to two communication cables belonging to Elisa and Ariline Finland.
Additionally, the ship's anchor also passed over seven other communication and power cables and a gas pipeline, posing a risk of further damage to critical infrastructure. The court stated that the anchor was lowered while the ship was leaving St. Petersburg, but before it exited Russian territorial waters. Although prosecutors did not claim that the captain directly ordered the anchor to be lowered, the court concluded that both individuals should have known that the anchor was being dragged.
Legal Challenges and Court Decision
Both defendants claimed innocence and contested the jurisdiction of Finland, arguing that the incident did not occur in Finnish territorial waters. However, the court rejected this claim, stating that due to the intentional nature of the crimes and their impacts in Finland, Finnish courts could handle the case. The defendants were also charged with disrupting communications, but this charge was dismissed due to its coverage in the intentional destruction ruling.
This ruling is not final, and the captain's lawyer has stated that he intends to appeal the decision, while the crew member is also considering challenging the ruling.
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