A video has been released showing the boarding operation carried out by Finnish special forces on the allegedly Turkish-owned ship named Fitburg, which appears to be involved in the sabotage of an underwater telecommunications cable connecting Helsinki with Tallinn, Estonia, via the Gulf of Finland.
In the images, a helicopter is seen approaching the ship, and armed men are descending onto the deck using ropes.
According to the Finnish Coast Guard, the ship was en route from the Russian port of Saint Petersburg to Israel at the time of the incident. The Coast Guard provided this information during a press conference in Helsinki.
“At this moment, we are investigating a case of aggravated disruption of telecommunications, as well as aggravated sabotage and attempted aggravated sabotage,” Helsinki Police Chief Jari Liukku told journalists.
Officials believe the incident is part of a broader context of increased concern in Europe over the intensification of hybrid threats from Russia following the start of the war in Ukraine—an accusation that Moscow denies. Earlier this month, NATO’s top military commander emphasized that the Alliance must be ready to respond to such threats in order to protect its territory. So-called hybrid threats include both military and non-military means, such as cyberattacks, disinformation campaigns, sabotage of critical infrastructure, and the use of drones or irregular armed groups.
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