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Finnish court sentences Russian captain to 3.5 years for deliberately damaging Gulf of Finland cables
A Helsinki court sentenced Fitburg captain Andrei Maksimenko to three years and six months in prison for deliberately damaging undersea cables in the Gulf of Finland. The ruling matters amid repeated damage to Baltic infrastructure and regional concerns about the security of undersea links.
The court also sentenced boatswain Vusal Majidov to two years and 10 months, and ordered both men to pay for repairs. The Fitburg was travelling from St Petersburg to Israel in late 2025 when it dragged its anchor for about 130 kilometres, damaging cables between Finland and Estonia; Finnish authorities detained the ship.
In short
- The Fitburg captain received a three-and-a-half-year prison sentence.
- The boatswain was sentenced to two years and 10 months.
- The ship dragged its anchor for about 130 kilometres, damaging cables.
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
The sentence can be defended as a proportionate response to deliberate damage to critical infrastructure: undersea cables support communications and other essential links, and repairs can be costly and disruptive. A substantial penalty may also deter similar acts and affirm that ships using international waters must take care not to endanger neighbouring countries’ infrastructure.
The case against
A lengthy prison term should rest on strong evidence that the damage was deliberate and on a clear, individual assessment of each defendant’s responsibility; the ship’s route and the damage alone would not establish intent. A critic could also question whether imprisonment and repair costs are proportionate, particularly if the defendants’ conduct or the applicable rules leave room for doubt.