In Oslo on February 1, a Norwegian cargo ship with an all-Russian crew suspected of damaging a Baltic Sea telecoms cable has been released by authorities in Norway after no link to the incident was found, the police confirmed on Friday.
The Silver Dania, at the behest of Latvian authorities and assisted by Norway's coast guard, was reported by police in the northern Norwegian city of Tromsoe.
"The investigation will continue, but we see no reason for the ship to remain in Tromsoe any longer as no evidence implicating the ship in the damage to the subsea cable has been uncovered," stated the police.
The owner of the Silver Dania, the Silver Sea shipping group, refuted any involvement in the incident, as reported by Norwegian broadcaster TV2.
Sweden and Latvia are investigating the suspected sabotage of the cable linking the two countries. Swedish authorities impounded the Maltese-flagged cargo ship Vezhen on suspicion of causing the damage.
The head of the Vezhen's operator, a Bulgarian company, stated on Monday that the ship might have accidentally struck the cable with its anchor but denied any intentional wrongdoing.
Mats Ljungqvist, the prosecutor overseeing the investigation in Sweden, confirmed on Friday that they had examined the Norwegian ship but ruled out its involvement.
Following Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the Baltic Sea region has experienced a series of incidents including power outages, cyberattacks, and disruptions to gas pipelines, prompting increased vigilance. In response, the NATO military alliance has bolstered its presence with frigates, aircraft, and naval drones.