Finnish Police Seize Ship Linked to Undersea Cable Damage in Gulf of Finland

Finnish police seized a ship suspected of damaging a telecoms cable between Helsinki and Tallinn in the Gulf of Finland. The region has experienced sabotage incidents recently, raising security concerns. The cable owned by Finnish telecom Elisa was reportedly damaged by a vessel dragging its anchor.

Finnish authorities have seized a vessel believed to have damaged an undersea telecoms cable connecting Helsinki to Tallinn, according to police reports on Wednesday. This operation is part of a joint investigation, although officials have refrained from disclosing the ship's identity or nationality.

The incident comes amid heightened security measures in the Baltic Sea, bordered by eight NATO states and Russia, following multiple power, gas, and telecom disruptions since Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022. NATO has significantly increased its military presence in response to these threats.

The ship implicated in the recent damage reportedly dragged its anchor through the sea and was subsequently redirected to Finnish waters. Authorities confirmed the cable belongs to Finnish telecom group Elisa. President Alexander Stubb assured the public that Finland is well-prepared to address various security challenges.

(With inputs from agencies.)