Sweden investigates possible breach of Baltic Sea cable

Sweden is investigating a possible breach of an undersea cable off the country's southwestern coast in the Baltic Sea, the coastguard said on Friday, in an area where multiple seabed cables have been damaged in recent months.

The Baltic Sea region is on alert and the NATO alliance has boosted its presence after a series of power cable, telecom and gas pipeline outages since Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022. Most were caused by civilian ships dragging their anchors.

"We have received information about a suspected cable breach and the prosecution service has chosen to start a preliminary investigation," a coastguard spokesperson told Reuters.

A coastguard vessel has been sent to the scene off the island of Gotland, the spokesperson added.

Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson said the government was being briefed and that damage to any undersea infrastructure was particularly concerning amid the current security situation.

It was not immediately clear which type of cable was involved or when the possible damage had taken place.

The coastguard declined to comment further.

Read next

14:23

School Shooting

Three guns found next to dead Swedish school shooting suspect

12:51

Mass Shooting

Sweden's Deadliest Mass Shooting Leaves 11 Dead at Adult Education Center

At least 11 people, including the gunman, were killed in Sweden's worst mass shooting at an adult education center in Örebro, west of Stockholm, authorities confirmed.

18:10

Sweden

Five injured in school shooting in Örebro, Sweden

Five people were shot in a school attack in Orebro, Sweden, prompting a major emergency response. Police are treating the incident as attempted murder, arson, and an aggravated weapons offence.

10:15

World News

Sweden unveils its largest military aid package for Ukraine

Sweden's Defence Minister said on Thursday the Nordic country had agreed to donate its biggest aid package to Ukraine so far, worth 13.5 billion Swedish crowns, approximately $1.2 billion.

13:07

Sweden

Sweden probes sabotage after Baltic undersea cable damaged

Sweden has opened a sabotage investigation following the damage to a fiber optic cable in the Baltic Sea, with the Malta-flagged vessel Vezhen seized as part of the probe. The incident adds to a growing list of such attacks in the region since Russia's invasion of Ukraine.