Finland’s state flag mistakenly raised on Fitburg vessel
In Finland, the state flag of the country was raised on New Year’s night aboard the cargo vessel Fitburg, which is suspected of damaging cables in the Gulf of Finland. Police seized the flag and checked whether the crew had violated the rules governing its use, YLE News reports.
The flag in question was the Finnish state flag with swallowtails and a lion coat of arms in the center of the blue cross. This flag is used by the headquarters, military units, institutions and vessels of the Finnish Defence Forces. Fitburg sails under the flag of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, so the Finnish state flag should not have been on its mast.
The crew’s explanation
According to the Azerbaijani boatswain, the second officer was responsible for flags on board. He told investigators that a Russian flag had been raised on the vessel at night and that it was likely replaced in the morning after crossing the Finnish border.
Fitburg’s captain, Russian citizen Andrey Maksimenko, said during questioning that he had personally ordered the flag to be raised when the vessel entered Finland’s territorial waters. According to him, the crew did not know that this type of flag could not be used in such a case. The captain called it a mistake and suggested that the flag might have been stored on the vessel for many years, while there was no other Finnish flag on board.
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The chief officer admitted that he had raised the flag. He explained that he found an unopened package marked “Finnish flag” and opened it after crossing the border. The sailor apologized and said that he had no bad intentions.
Flag proceedings closed
Finland’s National Bureau of Investigation completed its investigation into the improper use of the state flag because it found no grounds to suspect a crime. The crew received no punishment for this episode.
At the same time, suspicions of cable damage resulted in charges being brought. The prosecutor is seeking two and a half years in prison each for the captain and boatswain for aggravated intentional damage and aggravated interference with telecommunications. The hearing began on September 8, 2026, at the Helsinki District Court.
