03/69 Monday, January 5, 2026
Finnish authorities have seized a cargo vessel and detained its crew following an incident in which an undersea internet cable operated by Elisa, connecting Finland and Estonia, was severed in the early hours of New Year’s Day. Finland’s maritime authorities reported that the vessel was observed dragging its anchor across the area where the cable was damaged while departing from Saint Petersburg, prompting officials to escort the ship for inspection to determine the true cause of the incident.
During the search, authorities detained two crew members, nationals of Russia and Azerbaijan, for questioning on charges of aggravated sabotage. Investigators also discovered goods on board that are subject to European Union trade restrictions, concealed within the vessel. These findings have led authorities to focus their investigation on the possibility of hybrid warfare, or the deliberate targeting of critical infrastructure, rather than treating the incident as a routine maritime accident.
Suspicion deepened when a second undersea cable, operated by Arelion, was found damaged on the same day. Although redundancy systems ensured that communications continued without major disruption, Finnish authorities raised the national security alert level. Investigation teams are currently deploying underwater robots to collect physical evidence in order to determine the true intent behind the incident.
Source https://hackread.com/finnish-detain-crew-undersea-internet-cable/
