A Norwegian-owned and Russian-crewed ship, the Silver Dania, has been stopped off the coast of Norway amidst suspicions of its involvement in damaging an underwater fiber optic cable connecting Latvia and the Swedish island of Gotland. The vessel was intercepted by Norwegian authorities following a request from Latvian officials and a court ruling in Norway.
The Silver Dania, which was en route between Russian ports of St. Petersburg and Murmansk, is under scrutiny for potential serious damage to the cable in the Baltic Sea. Authorities have not provided specific details regarding the incident but have confirmed that investigations are ongoing, including searches of the ship and interviews with the crew.
The damage to the data transmission cable, which runs from Ventspils, Latvia, to Gotland, was first detected on Sunday. Subsequently, Swedish prosecutors initiated a preliminary investigation into suspected sabotage and detained another vessel, the Malta-flagged Vezhen, believed to be linked to the cable damage.
The Bulgarian owner of the Vezhen has suggested that the cable break may have been accidental, refuting claims of sabotage or deliberate actions by the crew. The situation remains under investigation as authorities work to determine the exact circumstances surrounding the damage to the vital underwater cable.
