Sweden investigates recent Baltic cable ‘sabotage’
Date
1/28/2025 6:41:11 AM
(MENAFN) Sweden and Latvia are investigating a new case of suspected sabotage involving an undersea cable in the Baltic Sea. On Sunday, Latvian Prime Minister Evika Silina confirmed that a crucial fiber optic cable connecting Latvia to Sweden's Gotland island had been damaged, and she suggested that the cause was likely "external."
Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson confirmed the incident, with both Sweden, Latvia, and NATO collaborating on the investigation. The cable is owned by Latvia’s state radio and television center (LVRTC), which reported data disruptions.
The Swedish Security Service has classified the damage as “aggravated sabotage” and confirmed that a ship has been detained during the preliminary investigation. While the vessel's name hasn't been officially released, reports point to the Malta-flagged Vezhen, which had recently departed from Russia's Ust-Luga port and was near Gotland and Latvia at the time of the incident.
This marks the latest in a series of incidents affecting undersea infrastructure in the Baltic Sea. In December, Finnish authorities detained the oil tanker Eagle S, which was suspected of damaging the Estlink 2 power transmission cable between Finland and Estonia.
With rising concerns about the safety of critical undersea infrastructure, NATO launched the Baltic Sentry mission earlier this month to increase naval and drone patrols in the region. While there has been speculation about Russian involvement in these incidents, no direct evidence has been found, and Western countries have avoided making specific accusations. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has dismissed the rumors, calling the notion that Russia is responsible “absurd.”
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