Sweden seizes ship suspected of damaging Baltic undersea cable
The Swedish Prosecution Authority has confiscated a ship suspected of damaging an underwater fiber optic cable linking Latvia and the Swedish island of Gotland, according to a press release.
A criminal investigation into suspected serious sabotage has been launched, the authority stated, although it did not disclose the name or nationality of the ship, Xinhua news agency reported.
Swedish newspaper Expressen reported that the vessel is the oil tanker Vezhen, registered in Malta and sailing from Russia. The ship is currently anchored off Karlskrona in southeastern Sweden, maritime analytics provider Marine Traffic confirmed.
The underwater fiber optic cable connecting Latvia and the Swedish island of Gotland in the Baltic Sea was damaged early on Sunday, as the cable’s owner, SJSC Latvian State Radio and Television Center (LVRTC), informed.
LVRTC said they detected disruptions in data transmission early on Sunday and suspected that the cable had been seriously damaged by external force. The affected section lies within the Swedish economic zone, Swedish National Radio reported.
The cable operator assured that internet service would be provided via alternative data transmission routes. Since the cable runs on the seabed at a depth of more than 50 meters, the full extent of the damage will be determined once repairs begin.
Latvian Prime Minister Evika Silina convened an extraordinary meeting of ministers and emergency services on Sunday and later announced that Latvia is working with NATO and Baltic Sea countries to investigate the incident.
She added that Latvia has been preparing for potential crises and is ready to ensure data transmission through alternative routes.
Latvian naval forces have sent a patrol boat to inspect the site and contacted NATO allies about the incident.
Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson told Swedish newspaper Aftonbladet that he had been in contact with Silina regarding the matter and promised Sweden would provide “important resources for the investigation.”
This incident adds to a series of recent disruptions to undersea internet and energy cables in the Baltic Sea.
