Swedish prosecutors have launched a preliminary investigation into suspected aggravated sabotage after an underwater fibre optic cable connecting Latvia and the island of Gotland was significantly damaged on Sunday.
The investigation has intensified the fears of a Russian sabotage in the Baltic, after a series of incidents in critical infrastructures of the region.
The government stopped the vezhen ship, striking the Maltese flag, which was near the cable at the time of the alleged damage. MATS LJUNGQVIST, chief prosecutor of the Swedish national security unit, noted that the case is being handled with the contribution of several agencies, in particular the Operations Department of the National Police, the Coast Guard and the Armed Forces.
Mattias Lindholm, spokesman for the Swedish coast guard, said: “We are directly in the place with the seized shipping and take measures through the prosecutor. “
According to tracking data sent by Vessefindernder, the Vezhen had departed the Russian port of Ust-Luga several days earlier and was sailing between Gotland and Latvia when the damage allegedly occurred.
The Latvian National Radio and Television Centre (LVRTC) detected interruptions in the cable connecting Ventspils to Gotland and showed a break. Vineta Sprugaine, LVRTC’s director of corporate communications, said: “At the moment, there is an explanation as to why the cable is particularly injured and that the pain is caused by external influences. “
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Latvian Prime Minister Evika Siliņa called for a thorough investigation and emphasized cooperation with the Swedish government and NATO allies. Writing in Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson echoed those concerns, adding that he is in close contact with Siliņa.
Sunday’s breach is the latest in a series of incidents that have raised alarms about possible Russian sabotage against important infrastructure in the Baltic Sea. NATO has expressed growing fears about the vulnerability of the region’s undersea cables and pipelines, which play a critical role in communications. source of energy and national security.
Earlier this month, NATO introduced a new mission, “Baltic Sentry,” to surveillance and deterrence in the Baltic Sea. The operation includes frigates, maritime patrol aircraft and naval drones, with a concentrate on protective underwater assets.
This latest incident also follows reports of disruptions to other undersea intelligence cables in the region, allegedly connected to Russia’s so-called “shadow fleet. ” This fleet is made up of a bunch of old tankers with opaque ownership, accused of avoiding sanctions while propping up Russian oil revenues. These vessels were tested for possible sabotage activities under the guise of advertising operations.
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The Baltic has become a hotspot for geopolitical tensions, with undersea infrastructure increasingly in the crosshairs. The sabotage of the Nord Stream pipelines in September 2022 served as a stark reminder of the region’s vulnerabilities.
The explosions, which caused significant damage to the pipelines linking Russia to Europe, remain a point of contention, with Western officials widely suspecting Russian involvement. While no definitive conclusions have been drawn, the attack marked a turning point in the security landscape of the Baltic, highlighting how critical infrastructure could be weaponised in the shadowy arena of hybrid warfare.
The recent pain over the Latvia-Gotland cable highlights those vulnerabilities.
Unlike pipelines, undersea cables are more difficult to monitor due to their significant length, relatively shallow intensity in parts of the Baltic, and reliance on civilian rather than military oversight.
Experts warn that Russia could simply exploit those weak points in their broader strategy of hybrid war, sabotage and espionage to sow uncertainty and exert pressure on NATO allies.
Russia’s activity in the Baltic has been under scrutiny for years, particularly regarding its fleet movements and submarine operations.
Earlier this year, Danish and Swedish investigators reported suspicious movements of Russian ships near the northerly flow explosions, fueling the hypothesis about Moscow’s involvement.
Similarly, recent satellite imagery and vessel tracking data have shown irregular behavior by Russia-linked ships in proximity to undersea infrastructure, including long stops in unusual locations and abrupt changes in course.
The involvement of the Vezhen, a shipment connected to Russian ports, has additional feeding suspicions. Although no official link has been established between the shipping actors and the Russian state, their presence near the damaged cable raises questions.
The fact that the cable was damaged in international waters, yet in a strategically sensitive area for NATO, adds a layer of complexity to the investigation.
Carl Bergstrom, a security expert with Sweden’s Defense University, said: “The Baltic Sea is a high-stakes environment.
“The proximity of critical infrastructure to the Russian territory, combined with the strategic importance of the region for NATO, makes it a privileged objective for secret operations. Sabotage of underwater cables can disturb communications, savings and undermine confidence in Protection guarantees.
In addition to Baltic Sentry, individual member states are stepping up their own defenses. Finland and Estonia have invested in advanced undersea surveillance technology, while Sweden has increased its naval patrols. Latvia and Lithuania have also called for closer cooperation among Baltic nations to monitor and protect critical assets.
The damage to the Latvia-Gotland cable highlights the ongoing challenges of securing critical infrastructure in an era of heightened geopolitical tensions. While the cable itself may not carry the same symbolic weight as the Nord Stream pipelines, its disruption has real-world consequences, both economically and politically.
For Latvia, cable serves as a very important link to Sweden and the wider European network. Disruptions in those links not only transmit flows of communication and knowledge, but also disclose vulnerabilities that adversaries can exploit. Sweden, as a NATO aspirant and regional leader, faces striving to demonstrate its ability to protect its own infrastructure while also contributing to collective security in the Baltic.
For Russia, those incidents are a reminder of its ability to allocate its force beyond the military’s classic means.
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