The Swedish prosecutor’s office has opened a first investigation into alleged sabotage after an underwater fiber optic cable connecting Latvia and the island of Gotland broke on Sunday.
The investigation has intensified fears of Russian sabotage in the Baltic, following a series of incidents in the region targeting critical infrastructure.
Authorities arrested the Maltese-flagged vessel Vezhen, which was near the cable at the time of the alleged damage. Mats Ljungqvist, chief prosecutor of Sweden’s National Security Unit, showed that the case is being dealt with with input from several agencies, adding the Department of Operations of the National Police, the Coast Guard and the Armed Forces.
Mattias Lindholm, a spokesman for the Swedish Coast Guard, said: “We are directly on the scene with the seized boat and are taking action through the prosecutor. “
According to Veselfinder ship tracking, Vezhen had left the Russian port of Ost Luga several days earlier and sailed between Gotland and Latvia when they were in pain.
Latvia’s National Radio and Television Center (LVRTC) detected interruptions in the cable connecting Ventspils to Gotland and showed a break. Vineta Sprugaine, head of corporate communications at LVRTC, said: “At the moment, there is explanation why the cable is particularly hurtd and that the pain is caused through external influences. “
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Latvian Prime Minister Evika Siliņa called for a thorough investigation, emphasizing cooperation with the Swedish government and NATO allies. Writing in X, he said: “We are working with our Swedish allies and NATO to investigate the incident, patrol the domain and inspect vessels in the surrounding area. ” which is in close contact with Siliņa.
Sunday’s rupture is the latest in a series of incidents that have raised alarms over potential Russian sabotage targeting vital infrastructure in the Baltic Sea. NATO has expressed growing concern about the vulnerability of undersea cables and pipelines in the region, which play a critical role in communication, energy supply, and national security.
Earlier this month, NATO presented a new mission, “Baltic Sentry”, to surveillance and deterrence in the Baltic Sea. The operation includes frigates, maritime patrol airplanes and naval drones, the emphasis is put in the coverage of submarine resources.
This last incident also occurs behind the data that reports other submarine cables in the region, supposedly connected to the Russian “ghost fleet”. This fleet is composed of a lot of ag-end owners, accused of avoiding sanctions while supporting the income of Russian oil. These ships have been subject to close monitoring, since they may simply participate in sabotage acts under the dosel of advertising operations.
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The Baltic has an access point of geopolitical tensions, with an underwater infrastructure increasingly in the sight.
The explosions, which caused extensive damage to oil pipelines linking Russia to Europe, remain a point of contention, with Western officials widely suspecting Russian involvement. While no definitive conclusions have been reached, the attack marked a turning point in the Baltic security landscape, highlighting how critical infrastructure is likely to become a weapon in the murky theater of hybrid warfare.
The recent damage to the Latvia-Gotland cable further underscores these vulnerabilities.
Unlike pipelines, undersea cables are harder to monitor due to their extensive length, relatively shallow depth in parts of the Baltic, and reliance on civilian rather than military oversight.
Experts warn that Russia could exploit these weak points in its broader strategy of hybrid warfare, using sabotage and espionage to sow uncertainty and exert pressure on NATO allies.
Russia’s activities in the Baltic have been monitored for years, namely, related to fleet movements and underwater operations.
Earlier this year, Danish and Swedish investigators reported suspicious movements of Russian-affected ships near the site of the Northern Stream explosions, fueling hypotheses about Moscow’s involvement.
Additionally, recent satellite photographs and shipment tracking data have shown an abnormal trend of shipments connected to Russia near underwater infrastructure, adding long inbound stops and sudden CAP changes.
The involvement of the Vezhen – a vessel linked to Russian ports – has further stoked suspicions. While no official connection has been made between the ship and Russian state actors, its presence near the ruptured cable raises significant questions.
The fact that the cable breaks in strange waters, but in a strategically sensitive domain for NATO, adds a layer of complexity to the investigation.
Carl Bergstrom, a security with the Swedish Defense University, said: “The Baltic Sea is a high-risk environment.
“The proximity of critical infrastructure to Russian territory, combined with the strategic importance of the region to NATO, makes it a target for covert operations. Sabotage of undersea cables can disrupt communications, damage economies and undermine confidence in security guarantees. »
In addition to the Baltic Sentry, some member states are strengthening their own defenses. Finland and Estonia have invested in complex underwater surveillance technologies, while Sweden has higher naval patrols. assets.
The pain on the Latvia-Gotland cable highlights the ongoing demanding situations of securing critical infrastructure at a time of heightened geopolitical tensions. While the cable itself would not carry the same symbolic weight as the Nord Stream pipes, its interruption has genuine consequences, either. economically and politically.
For Latvia, the cable constitutes a very important link with Sweden and the wider European network. Disturbances in those links, communication, and knowledge flows not only disclose, but also disclose, vulnerabilities that adversaries can exploit. Sweden, as an aspiring NATO member and regional leader, faces pressure to demonstrate its ability to secure its own infrastructure while contributing to collective security in the Baltics.
For Russia, such incidents are a reminder of its ability to allocate forces beyond classical military means.
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