Finnish Authorities Release Seized Ship Amid Ongoing Undersea Cable Sabotage Investigation

Finnish police have lifted the seizure of a ship suspected of sabotaging a vital telecoms cable between Helsinki and Estonia. The Baltic Sea remains tense amid outages since Russia's Ukraine invasion in 2022. Despite the release, some crew members face travel bans as investigations continue.

In a developing story, Finnish authorities announced the release of a ship previously seized on suspicions of sabotaging an undersea telecom cable that links Helsinki to Estonia. This decision comes amid heightened tensions in the Baltic region following infrastructure outages linked to the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.

The seizure of the Fitburg cargo ship, which was detained on December 31 as it traveled from Russia to Israel, marked a significant step in the investigation. Finnish and Estonian police have conducted extensive work on board, although one crew member remains detained, and travel bans persist for others involved.

With NATO increasing its military presence in the area, the situation underscores the fragility of critical infrastructure in conflict-adjacent regions. Authorities continue to piece together the events leading to the cable and pipeline disruptions as they maintain close monitoring of the region's security.

(With inputs from agencies.)