Manta

The damaged infrastructure was a submarine fibre-optic telecommunications cable operated by Finnish telecommunications provider Elisa, forming part of the digital connectivity backbone between Finland and Estonia. At approximately 04:53 local time on 31 December, Elisa detected an anomaly in the cable’s performance and immediately reported the fault to Finnish Border Guard authorities, sparking an urgent investigation.

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Submarine fibre-optic cables carry the vast majority of international data traffic, including internet, financial, and governmental communications. Their physical integrity is essential for continuity of services; even minor damage can escalate into significant service disruption if redundancy and alternative routing are insufficient. In this case, redundancy in regional infrastructure prevented immediate outage of services despite the physical damage.

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Finnish authorities identified and boarded a cargo vessel, the Fitburg, present near the damaged cable. The vessel was found with its anchor chain lowered and subsequently detained, with 14 crew members taken into custody and interrogated as part of a criminal investigation into aggravated interference with telecommunications and possible aggravated criminal damage.

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Technical investigation work included seabed inspections to assess the exact nature and location of the damage and to determine whether mechanical forces, such as anchor dragging, were the primary cause of cable rupture. The proximity of the vessel to the site, coupled with the anchor’s position, gave authorities cause for suspicion, although legal and evidentiary challenges remain significant.