Finland seizes ship suspected of damaging subsea cable in Baltic Sea

Finnish authorities seized a vessel suspected of damaging a subsea telecommunications cable in the Baltic Sea after a fault was reported by telecom operator Elisa, with a parallel report of damage to an Arelion cable; the ship was found with its anchor chain lowered and the case is under Helsinki Police investigation for aggravated criminal damage and interference with telecommunications. The incident echoes prior Baltic Sea cable damages—such as those linked to the Russia-associated tanker Eagle S—prompting NATO to increase patrols, though officials in several countries suggest many cable faults may be accidental anchor drags; telecom services experienced no significant disruption due to redundant routing.