Swedish Authorities Seize Vessel in Cable Sabotage Probe

[rbc]

Swedish authorities seized a vessel in the Baltic Sea as part of a criminal probe into alleged sabotage of an undersea cable between Sweden and Latvia, following a string of high-profile cable disruptions across the region.

Senior prosecutor Mats Ljungqvist said Sunday that the Swedish Security Service is leading the probe, backed by the military, police and coast guard. Local reports say a Malta-flagged vessel, the Vezhen, was seized near Karlskrona. Latvian Prime Minister Evika Silina told reporters Sunday a section of the undersea fiber optic network most likely suffered "significant" external damage, later adding on X that an examination of the damage site would be conducted beginning as early as Monday evening.

Latvian state media reported data transmission disruptions on Sunday, but key details remain unclear - including whether the alleged sabotage ties to recent cable breaks linked to Russia’s sanctions-busting shadow fleet (see: Finland Boards Tanker Suspected of Rupturing Undersea Cables). The incident follows a December case where Finnish authorities boarded a tanker suspected of damaging Baltic Sea cables. Another Chinese-flagged tanker in November is suspected of severing cables connecting Finland with Germany and with Lithuania.
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Swedish Authorities Seize Vessel in Cable Sabotage Probe