The Helsinki District Court has imposed a sentence of three and a half years in prison on the Russian captain of the cargo ship 'Fitburg', Andrei Maksimenko, and of two years and ten months on the Azerbaijani boatswain, Vusal Majidov, for an aggravated sabotage offense linked to the breaking of submarine cables in the Gulf of Finland on December 31, 2025, in a ruling that is not yet final.
The judges consider it proven that the vessel traveled for several hours dragging, along the sea floor, a chain and an anchor block over a distance of about 130 kilometers, in international waters, causing damage to two telecommunications cables and putting at risk seven other telecommunications and electricity cables, as well as a gas pipeline that connects Finland with other states.
According to the court order, which Europa Press has obtained, the anchor had been raised when the ship departed from the Russian port of Saint Petersburg the previous day, but it was lowered again before leaving Russian territorial waters. The blocking system worked correctly and the anchor was not recovered until Finnish authorities detected that it was being dragged and warned the crew on the morning of New Year's Eve.
Although it has not been proven that Maksimenko gave the direct order to release the anchor or that Majidov participated immediately in that maneuver, the court concludes that both knew, or at least should have known, what was happening. It also considers it demonstrated that the captain allowed the voyage to continue under those circumstances and that the boatswain cooperated in maintaining the course for approximately two hours after the first warning from the authorities.
The judges understand that the facts generated "an especially serious danger to important functions of society", both because of the actual damage and the risk of broader consequences. Maksimenko's greater responsibility in the direction and navigation of the vessel explains the difference between the convictions imposed on the two seafarers.
In addition to prison sentences, the two defendants have been convicted of jointly indemnifying those affected for the costs of repairing, inspecting, and investigating the cables and the gas pipeline, and of covering the procedural costs claimed by the harmed parties.
Aggravated interference with telecommunications ruled out
The court has decided not to consider a separate offense of aggravated interference with telecommunications, understanding that it is absorbed by aggravated sabotage. Likewise, it has rejected the allegations regarding the lack of Finnish jurisdiction, considering that these are intentional offenses whose effects manifested in Finnish territory.
Both Maksimenko and Majidov, who have denied their involvement at all times, have expressed their displeasure with the sentence. The captain’s lawyer, Olli Etelamaki, stated in comments to Finnish public broadcasting company Yle that his client intends to appeal, while the boatswain’s defense continues to weigh that option.
For her part, special prosecutor Krista Mannerhovi has expressed her agreement with the ruling, estimating that "the final outcome corresponds approximately to the interpretation that the Prosecution makes of the facts and the intent", although she has not yet decided whether she will file an appeal against the acquittal for the offense of interference with telecommunications.
The trial took place over eight sessions, between September 8 and October 8, 2026, before a court composed of three judges who adopted the decision unanimously. The sentence may be appealed to the Court of Appeal.