Norwegian Authorities Investigate Russian Crew Ship Linked to Damaged Baltic Cable

The Norwegian police have launched an investigation into a Norwegian vessel following the request of Latvia, amid suspicions of its involvement in the recent damage to a fiber optic cable in the Baltic Sea. The authorities believe that the ship may have played a role in the severe damage inflicted on the cable, which runs between Latvia and Sweden.

According to police reports, officers boarded the vessel to conduct interviews and gather evidence. Both the crew and the ship's owner have reportedly been cooperative throughout the investigation.

The ship in question, named the Silver Dania, is operated by the Norwegian shipping company Silver Sea and has a crew comprised entirely of Russian nationals. The vessel was detained by the Norwegian Coast Guard on Thursday evening while en route from the Russian cities of Murmansk to St. Petersburg. It was subsequently brought to the port of Tromsø in northern Norway.

In response to the allegations, Silver Sea has denied any involvement in the incident. Tormod Fossmark, the company's managing director, clarified that while the ship passed by the Swedish island of Gotland, which is near where the cable was damaged, they did not drop anchor. He emphasized that they have not engaged in any wrongdoing and stated that the authorities brought the ship to port to eliminate any possibility of their involvement.

The damaged cable, which is crucial for data transmission between Sweden and Latvia, suffered significant harm last Sunday. The operator of the cable, the Latvian Radio and Television Centre (LVRTC), indicated that the damage was caused by external factors. On the same day, Swedish authorities inspected a Bulgarian ship as part of an investigation into potential sabotage.

Since the onset of the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, there have been several incidents of damage to critical telecommunications and power cables in the Baltic Sea. Experts have raised concerns that these incidents may represent hybrid attacks against Western interests, potentially orchestrated by Russia.

Previously, on Christmas Day, four telecommunications cables and one power cable were damaged in the Baltic Sea between Finland and Estonia. Finnish authorities suspect that the anchor of a Russian oil tanker departing from St. Petersburg may have caused the damage to the cables located on the seabed. As a result, Finnish authorities are conducting their own investigation into allegations of serious sabotage.