The Helsinki District Court in Finland has handed down prison sentences to two crew members of the cargo vessel Fitburg in connection with the damaging of subsea cables in the Gulf of Finland.
Sea-news.az reports that the ship’s captain, Russian citizen Andrey Maksimenko, was sentenced to 3 years and 6 months in prison, while the boatswain, Azerbaijani citizen Vusal Majidov, received a sentence of 2 years and 10 months.
The court found both individuals guilty of causing severe damage and ordered their immediate remand in custody. Furthermore, the defendants were ordered to jointly compensate the injured parties for repair costs associated with the cables and pipeline, as well as expenditure incurred during the damage investigations.
The verdict has not yet entered legal force and remains subject to appeal. Defense attorneys stated that their clients intend to challenge the court’s ruling.
The cargo vessel Fitburg was detained by Finnish authorities in the Gulf of Finland on December 31, 2025, on suspicion of damaging subsea telecommunications cables. Investigators asserted that the vessel dragged its anchor along the seabed over a considerable distance, severing two submarine communications lines. Both Boatswain Vusal Majidov and Captain Andrey Maksimenko had pleaded not guilty to the charges.
