Norway detains Russian-crewed ship amid Baltic cable sabotage probe

Norwegian authorities have seized a cargo ship with an all-Russian crew over suspicions of involvement in the recent damage to an undersea telecoms cable in the Baltic Sea.

The vessel, Silver Dania, was intercepted by the Norwegian coast guard on Thursday and brought to the port of Tromsø on Friday. The action followed a request from Latvian authorities and a ruling by a Norwegian court, according to local police.

Investigators suspect the ship—sailing between Russia’s St. Petersburg and Murmansk—may have caused serious damage to the cable linking Latvia and Sweden’s Gotland island.

Meanwhile, Swedish prosecutors have launched a separate investigation into suspected sabotage, detaining the Malta-flagged Vezhen in connection with the same incident. The ship’s Bulgarian owner denied wrongdoing but admitted accidental damage was possible.

Growing Fears Over Undersea Cable Attacks

Sunday’s cable rupture is the latest in a series of similar incidents raising concerns over potential Russian sabotage in the Baltic Sea. In the past three months, authorities have reported damage to undersea cables connecting Lithuania and Sweden, Germany and Finland, and several links between Estonia and Finland.

Officials have linked some of these cases to Russia’s so-called shadow fleet—a network of ageing tankers bypassing Western sanctions to sustain Moscow’s oil exports.

NATO Steps Up Security

In response, NATO has launched a new mission to safeguard undersea cables in the region, deploying frigates, naval drones, and patrol aircraft.

“We will do everything in our power to fight back, monitor the situation, and take necessary steps to prevent further incidents,” NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte said earlier this month.

The alliance has warned that Russia is actively attempting to destabilise Western countries, increasing calls for strengthened defences in the Baltic region.

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