The trial of an Azerbaijani citizen has begun in Helsinki, the capital of Finland.
Modern.az reports, citing local media, that Russian and Azerbaijani citizens have been brought before the judge in connection with the case of damage to underwater cables in the Baltic Sea.
Andrey Maksimenko, a Russian citizen and captain of the ship “Fitburg”, and a bosun, an Azerbaijani citizen, are accused of aggravated sabotage and disruption of telecommunication links with aggravating circumstances. Both individuals deny the charges.
According to the investigation, “Fitburg” damaged two telecommunication cables in the Estonian economic zone between Helsinki and Tallinn on December 31, 2025. The ship's broken anchor dragged for at least 130 kilometers on the seabed.
Maksimenko called claims that the incident was related to a Russian hybrid attack “nonsense”. The captain's defense states that the incident was not intentional. The bosun, an Azerbaijani citizen, also denies all charges.
The prosecution demands a real prison sentence of 2 years and 6 months for both defendants.
