Norwegian authorities detained the Silver Dania vessel with a Russian crew on Jan. 30 on suspicion of it damaging an undersea fiber-optic cable linking Latvia and Sweden, the Norwegian police announced.
The vessel, which operates under the Norwegian flag and travels between St. Petersburg and Murmansk, was seized in Tromso at Latvia's request following a local court order. The police are searching the ship and questioning the crew.
The damaged cable is one of several recent incidents in the Baltic Sea that are being investigated as possible acts of sabotage.
The Latvian State Radio and Television Broadcasting Center (LVRTC) reported on Jan. 26 that an external impact had significantly damaged the underwater cable. While data transmission services were rerouted to alternative pathways, some users in Latvia experienced slower speeds.
A previous case on Dec. 25 saw the destruction of four telecommunication cables and a power cable, with Finnish authorities suspecting a Russian "shadow fleet" vessel was involved. These ships are used to bypass sanctions on Russian oil exports.
In response to the incidents, NATO has dispatched additional patrol ships to the region to safeguard critical infrastructure. While intelligence services in the U.S. and Europe increasingly suspect the damage may be due to maritime accidents rather than deliberate sabotage, investigations remain ongoing.
Concerns over Russian hybrid warfare tactics persist, particularly as suspicious activities involving Russian-registered vessels near Denmark and Sweden continue to raise alarms in the region.
Martin Fornusek
