NATO Country Investigates Suspected 'Sabotage' of New Baltic Cable
Sweden has confiscated a vessel as part of an investigation into alleged sabotage of an undersea cable in the Baltic Sea. Read Full Article at RT.com
TroibNews 
Sweden has detained an unnamed vessel in connection with damage to undersea infrastructure that links the country to Latvia.
The incident marks yet another case of suspected sabotage involving an undersea cable in the Baltic Sea, with Sweden and Latvia reporting the matter. Although there has been speculation regarding Russia’s possible involvement in previous incidents, no concrete evidence has surfaced, leading reports to suggest that these disruptions were due to maritime accidents rather than intentional actions.
On Sunday, Latvian Prime Minister Evika Silina reported that a vital undersea fiber optic cable linking Latvia and Sweden’s Gotland island was damaged, attributing the cause to be “most likely external.”
Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson confirmed the incident and noted that Sweden, Latvia, and NATO are collaborating on the issue. The damaged cable is owned by Latvia’s state radio and television center, which has acknowledged experiencing data disruptions.
On the same day, the Swedish Security Service classified the situation as “aggravated sabotage” and stated that a ship had been detained as part of a preliminary investigation. Although Swedish officials have not disclosed the name of the vessel, reports indicate it might be the Malta-flagged Vezhen, which recently left Russia’s Ust-Luga port and was operating in proximity to Gotland and Latvia when the incident occurred.
This is 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 causing damage to the Estlink 2 power transmission cable linking Finland and Estonia.
In response to escalating concerns regarding the security of crucial undersea infrastructure, NATO initiated the Baltic Sentry mission earlier this month to enhance naval and drone patrols in the area.
Despite ongoing speculation about potential Russian involvement in these incidents, no direct evidence has emerged, and Western nations have refrained from issuing any explicit accusations.
According to a report by The Washington Post, citing Western intelligence sources, the damage is likely attributable to maritime accidents involving inadequately maintained ships and inexperienced crews, rather than acts of deliberate sabotage. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov has rejected allegations of Moscow’s involvement, stating, “it is quite absurd to continue to blame Russia for everything without any reason.”
Lucas Dupont contributed to this report for TROIB News
The incident marks yet another case of suspected sabotage involving an undersea cable in the Baltic Sea, with Sweden and Latvia reporting the matter. Although there has been speculation regarding Russia’s possible involvement in previous incidents, no concrete evidence has surfaced, leading reports to suggest that these disruptions were due to maritime accidents rather than intentional actions.
On Sunday, Latvian Prime Minister Evika Silina reported that a vital undersea fiber optic cable linking Latvia and Sweden’s Gotland island was damaged, attributing the cause to be “most likely external.”
Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson confirmed the incident and noted that Sweden, Latvia, and NATO are collaborating on the issue. The damaged cable is owned by Latvia’s state radio and television center, which has acknowledged experiencing data disruptions.
On the same day, the Swedish Security Service classified the situation as “aggravated sabotage” and stated that a ship had been detained as part of a preliminary investigation. Although Swedish officials have not disclosed the name of the vessel, reports indicate it might be the Malta-flagged Vezhen, which recently left Russia’s Ust-Luga port and was operating in proximity to Gotland and Latvia when the incident occurred.
This is 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 causing damage to the Estlink 2 power transmission cable linking Finland and Estonia.
In response to escalating concerns regarding the security of crucial undersea infrastructure, NATO initiated the Baltic Sentry mission earlier this month to enhance naval and drone patrols in the area.
Despite ongoing speculation about potential Russian involvement in these incidents, no direct evidence has emerged, and Western nations have refrained from issuing any explicit accusations.
According to a report by The Washington Post, citing Western intelligence sources, the damage is likely attributable to maritime accidents involving inadequately maintained ships and inexperienced crews, rather than acts of deliberate sabotage. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov has rejected allegations of Moscow’s involvement, stating, “it is quite absurd to continue to blame Russia for everything without any reason.”
Lucas Dupont contributed to this report for TROIB News
