Finnish authorities have taken control of a vessel suspected of damaging a submarine telecommunications cable operated by Elisa, a telecommunications and digital services company, between Helsinki and Tallinn, police said Wednesday.
In a statement, police said the cable damage was detected earlier in the day and that the Finnish Border Guard located a vessel whose actions are suspected to be linked to the incident.
Finnish authorities subsequently seized the ship in a joint operation, YLE news agency reported.
The suspected vessel was encountered by the Border Guard's patrol ship Turva, supported by a helicopter, in Finland's exclusive economic zone (EEZ).
The reported location of the cable damage itself lies in Estonia's EEZ, according to information provided by Elisa.
Police said they are investigating the incident on suspicion of aggravated damage, attempted aggravated damage, and aggravated interference with telecommunications.
Authorities have also been in contact with the Office of the Prosecutor General, which has issued the relevant authorizations for the investigation.
The incident occurred in the Gulf of Finland, a strategically important maritime area hosting several critical energy and data connections linking Nordic and Baltic states.
It also comes as Nordic countries have remained on alert in recent years following several disruptions to telecommunications infrastructure, raising concerns over the resilience of energy and communication links.
