The Finnish Prosecution Service announced Monday that it is pursuing charges against two senior officers of the cargo vessel **Fitburg**. The ship, which Finnish Customs reported was transporting sanctioned steel products from Russia to Israel, is accused of damaging two subsea telecommunications cables and attempting to damage eight others on New Year's Eve. Authorities believe the **Fitburg** dragged its damaged anchor across the seabed for an astonishing 130 kilometers before Finnish intervention halted its movement. The vessel was seized, and its crew members subsequently arrested, following the detection of multiple cable faults in the Baltic Sea. Both defendants have denied the charges and are expected to contest Finland's jurisdiction, arguing that the alleged damage occurred outside Finnish territorial waters. The Helsinki District Court will determine the date for the hearing, where trial materials are expected to be made public. This incident closely follows a similar case from Christmas Day 2024, involving the Russia-linked oil tanker **Eagle S**. That vessel was also accused of damaging multiple cables, but an attempt to prosecute its senior officers collapsed due to legal rulings disputing Finland's jurisdiction. The repeated cable breaks in the Baltic Sea have raised alarms among international observers, with some initially fearing a Russian sabotage campaign. In response, **NATO** announced increased patrols in the region, deploying frigates, maritime patrol aircraft, and a small fleet of naval drones. However, officials from several European nations bordering the North and Baltic Seas have increasingly expressed confidence that these incidents were accidental rather than orchestrated by the Kremlin. One official suggested that a lack of professionalism among shipmasters, unwilling to manage anchors effectively in inclement weather, could be a contributing factor to anchors dragging across the seabed and causing damage.