- Swedish authorities seize a ship suspected of sabotaging a data cable under the Baltic Sea.
- NATO’s new “Baltic Sentry” mission intensifies patrols in response to rising underwater cable damage.
- Latvian government collaborates with Sweden and NATO after disruptions to critical communications infrastructure.
Swedish authorities have seized a ship suspected of causing damage to a data cable running beneath the Baltic Sea to Latvia.
Prosecutors revealed that an initial investigation suggests sabotage, prompting an inquiry involving Sweden’s police, military, and coast guard.
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On Sunday, Latvia’s military reported seeing two ships near the location of the cable damage.
This incident comes just weeks after NATO launched the “Baltic Sentry” mission to address ongoing attacks on underwater power and telecom cables, some of which have been attributed to Russia.
Latvian Prime Minister Evika Selina confirmed that her country is working closely with Sweden and NATO in response to the event.
The damaged cable, owned by Latvia’s state broadcaster LVRTC, caused “disruptions in data transmission services,” though end users were largely unaffected.
NATO’s Baltic Sentry mission, launched earlier this month, was prompted by several instances of cables being damaged or severed in 2024. NATO chief Mark Rutte emphasized the increased use of patrol aircraft, warships, and drones to safeguard infrastructure.
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While Russia was not directly blamed for the damage, Rutte noted that NATO would intensify surveillance of Moscow’s “shadow fleet” — vessels without clear ownership suspected of carrying embargoed oil products. He also pledged a robust response to any future incidents, including more vessel boardings and, if necessary, seizures.
Earlier, Finnish authorities indicated that a Russian ship might have been involved in the sabotage of an electricity cable between Finland and Estonia.
