Helsinki file photo: Sven Träger / Unsplash
Helsinki District Court sentenced the captain and boatswain of the cargo ship Fitburg to prison Thursday for dragging the vessel’s anchor across the Gulf of Finland seabed and damaging two telecommunications cables on December 31, 2025.
Captain Andrei Maksimenko received three years and six months, while boatswain Vusal Majidov received two years and ten months, Finnish public broadcaster Yle reported. The court ordered both men into immediate custody.
The court’s November 5 statement said the ship dragged its anchor chain and anchor along the seabed for about 130 kilometers over several hours. Seven additional telecommunications and power cables and one gas pipeline were put at risk.
For telecom operators, energy companies and businesses relying on links across the Baltic, the case concerns shared seabed infrastructure carrying communications, electricity and gas. The court found that the conduct created particularly serious danger to important functions of society.
Court finds crew knew anchor was down
The judges found that the anchor’s locking mechanism had been working and the anchor was raised when the ship left St. Petersburg the previous day. It was lowered after departure and before the vessel left Russian territorial waters, according to the court.
The court found that the captain and boatswain must have known the anchor was down while the ship crossed the cables and pipeline. The captain approved the vessel continuing with the anchor dragging, and the boatswain actively participated in continued sailing for about two hours after Finnish authorities first contacted the ship, the court said.
The captain’s longer sentence reflected his overall responsibility for the ship’s command, navigation and movement. Both men were convicted of the offence Yle translated as aggravated sabotage.
Repair costs and jurisdiction
The court also ordered the men to pay compensation for cable and pipeline repair and investigation costs, largely accepting the claimants’ demands, as well as their legal costs.
The judges ruled that Finland had jurisdiction because the intentional offences had effects in Finland, even though the anchor-dragging took place outside Finnish territorial waters. The three-judge decision was unanimous.
The men denied committing a crime and asked for the charges to be dismissed, Yle reported. The judgment is subject to appeal.
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