An undersea fiber optic cable connecting Latvia and Sweden sustained damage on Sunday, likely due to external influence, as reported by Latvia. This incident led NATO to deploy patrol ships and prompted an investigation for sabotage by Swedish authorities. The Swedish Security Service took control of a vessel as part of the investigation, confirmed by the country's prosecution authority.
“We are now carrying out a number of concrete investigative measures, but I cannot go into what they consist of due to the ongoing preliminary investigation,” stated senior prosecutor Mats Ljungqvist.
NATO coordinated military ships and aircraft under its mission named "Baltic Sentry", responding to a series of disruptions to power cables, telecom links, and gas pipelines in the region following Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
Latvian Prime Minister Evika Silina announced that her government, in collaboration with NATO and neighboring countries, was actively working to ascertain the circumstances surrounding the recent incident. The Latvian navy dispatched a patrol boat to inspect a ship, with two other vessels also under investigation.
Several commercial vessels navigate through the Baltic Sea daily, with data indicating that ships passed the affected area on Sunday, including the Malta-flagged bulk carrier Vezhen. Recent events highlighted the necessity to enhance the protection of critical undersea infrastructure in the Baltic Sea region, as noted by Finland's prime minister.
The damaged cable, which connected Ventspils in Latvia with Gotland island in Sweden, lies in Sweden's exclusive economic zone. Communication providers swiftly rerouted traffic through alternative channels. The cable's operator, Latvian State Radio and Television Centre (LVRTC), announced plans to contract a vessel for repairs, emphasizing that fiber optic cables damaged in the Baltic Sea are typically restored within weeks rather than months.