Finland says detained cargo ship Fitburg may resume voyage after fixes

Finnish transport authorities have said that the cargo vessel Fitburg, which was detained on suspicion of damaging an underwater telecommunications cable in the Gulf of Finland, may continue its voyage once a number of minor deficiencies are addressed.

The Finnish Transport and Communications Agency, Traficom, said it had found no serious safety violations during an inspection of the ship, which is currently docked at the port of Kirkkonummi, Caliber.Az reports, citing foreign media.

In a statement released on January 7, Traficom’s Director of Maritime Affairs, Sanna Sonninen, said the vessel was in a condition appropriate for its age and could resume sailing from a maritime safety perspective after the shortcomings were remedied.

Inspectors identified ten deficiencies, none of which posed a threat to the safety of the vessel or its crew, the agency said. The issues were mainly related to fire safety, emergency preparedness, the safe operation of the engine room and general maintenance. Crew members have already begun correcting the faults.

Finnish police detained the Fitburg on December 31 after it arrived from St Petersburg en route to the Israeli port of Haifa. The ship, sailing under the flag of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, is suspected of damaging an Elisa telecommunications cable running between Helsinki and Tallinn along the seabed of the Gulf of Finland.

Underwater investigations at the site revealed marks consistent with a ship’s anchor being dragged for several kilometres, which authorities believe may have caused the damage.

The vessel’s crew consists of 14 people from Russia, Georgia, Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan. A Helsinki district court has authorised the arrest of one crew member, an Armenian national whose name and role have not been disclosed. Three other crew members have been banned from leaving Finland.

Police are investigating the case on suspicion of causing large-scale damage, attempted large-scale damage and aggravated interference with telecommunications systems.

Although the Fitburg itself is not subject to EU sanctions, it is carrying around 9,000 tonnes of structural steel, which is classified as a sanctioned commodity.

By Aghakazim Guliyev