An underwater fiber optic cable was damaged in the Baltic Sea in the Ventspils-Gotland (Forosund) section early on the morning of January 26. Swedish authorities have launched an investigation and detained the vessel Vezhen, which is suspected of involvement in the sabotage.
An underwater fiber optic cable was damaged in the Baltic Sea in the Ventspils-Gotland (Forosund) section early on the morning of January 26. Swedish authorities have launched an investigation and detained the vessel Vezhen, which is suspected of involvement in the sabotage.
The damaged cable belongs to the Latvian State Radio and Television Center (LVRTC).
"The LVRTC data transmission monitoring system has recorded disruptions in the provision of data transmission services on the Ventspils-Gotland (Forosund) section. LVRTC continues to provide services via alternative data transmission routes. Currently, there may be delays in data transmission speeds, but this does not affect end users in Latvia for the most part," the company said in a statement.
The broadcaster adds that, in cooperation with technology partners, LVRTC immediately conducted a system check and network measurements from equipment in Ventspils.
"Based on the current findings, it can be assumed that the cable was significantly damaged due to external factors. LVRTC has initiated criminal proceedings. Given that the cable runs at a depth of more than 50 meters, the exact nature of the damage can only be determined after the start of repair work. LVRTC has informed the responsible authorities about the incident," the company noted.
According to information currently available to the LVRTC, electronic communications providers that previously used the submarine fiber optic cable have switched to alternative data transmission routes to maintain services.
LVRTC is negotiating with a foreign company that has extensive experience in solving such technologically complex tasks and can technically perform the repair of the submarine cable. The repair will begin as soon as an agreement is reached on the location of the repair vessel.
The Swedish government has responded to the damage. "There is information that at least one data cable between Sweden and Latvia has been damaged in the Baltic Sea. The cable belongs to a Latvian company. I have been in close contact with my Latvian counterpart, Prime Minister Evika Silinja, throughout the day. Sweden, Latvia and NATO are working closely on this issue. Sweden will contribute with appropriate forces and means to the investigation of the suspected incident," Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson said in a statement.
UPDATED. 01/27/2025 12:10
Swedish prosecutors announced Sunday night that they had opened an investigation into possible sabotage. They also issued a warrant to seize a vessel in the Baltic Sea suspected of carrying out the sabotage, the AP reported .
The Swedish Coast Guard confirmed to the newspaper Expressen that they are on site near the vessel, which journalists identified as the Maltese-flagged Vezhen, near the port of Karlskrona.
According to Vesselfinder, the ship had left the Russian port of Ust-Luga a few days earlier and was sailing between Gotland and Latvia at the time the damage was suspected.
This is not the first incident of cable damage in the Baltic Sea. The cable breaks raised suspicions that Russia was targeting Europe's underwater infrastructure in its campaign of hybrid attacks across the continent, prompting European intelligence agencies to step up security measures and NATO to send additional ships to the Baltic Sea.
American and European intelligence agencies believe that the ruptures of submarine cables in the Baltic Sea and the Gulf of Finland were caused by maritime accidents, not by Russian sabotage.
