Swedish authorities have boarded a Maltese-flagged ship seized in connection with the recent incident in the Baltic Sea to initiate an investigation, as reported on Monday by the country's security police.
According to Swedish Security Services spokesperson Johan Wikstrom, "persons from Swedish authorities have been on board the vessel to conduct investigative measures."
The undersea cable between Latvia and Sweden was disrupted early on Sunday in Sweden's exclusive economic zone, allegedly due to external influence, as confirmed by Latvia. This led to the deployment of NATO patrol ships in the area and a sabotage investigation by Swedish authorities.
A Swedish prosecutor authorized the seizure of a ship as part of the ongoing investigation.
Data from Marine Traffic revealed that a coastguard vessel accompanied the bulk carrier Vezhen to Swedish waters on Sunday, where it was subsequently anchored. The Vezhen crossed the fiber optic cable at 0045 GMT on Sunday.
Television footage from Sweden's TV4 displayed the Vezhen anchored approximately 10 km south of the naval base in Karlskrona, southern Sweden, with visible damage to its anchor.
The extent of any damage caused by the Vezhen remains uncertain, and the Latvian navy mentioned that three ships are under investigation.
Navigation Maritime Bulgare, a Bulgarian shipping company that includes the Vezhen in its fleet, did not respond immediately to comment requests.
NATO announced plans to deploy frigates, patrol aircraft, and naval drones in the Baltic Sea to safeguard critical infrastructure and retained the right to take action against ships deemed a security risk.
Recently, Finnish police intercepted a vessel carrying Russian oil, suspecting it of causing damage to the Finnish-Estonian Estlink 2 power line and four telecom cables on the seabed.