Sweden seizes Bulgarian ship after fibre-optic cable damage under Baltic Sea

A Bulgarian-owned vessel, Vezhen, was seized by the Swedish coast guard after a fibre-optic cable between Sweden and Latvia was found damaged under the Baltic Sea.

The cable, owned by Latvia's state radio and television centre (LVRTC), experienced disruptions, although alternatives were quickly implemented, ensuring minimal impact on users.

According to an AFP report, the damage was discovered on Sunday when Latvia sent a warship to investigate. Swedish authorities launched an "aggravated sabotage" investigation, as the situation intensified concerns over the security of undersea infrastructure in the region. The cable is crucial for communications, and the disruption raised alarms about possible sabotage, with some analysts pointing to Russia as a possible culprit.

The Vezhen, a Malta-flagged ship, was carrying fertilizer from Russia’s Ust-Luga port, en route to South America. The ship’s owner, Alexander Kalchev, told AFP that the ship had encountered extremely bad weather, and one of its anchors became damaged, which may have caused it to drag along the seafloor and inadvertently damage the cable.

The ship is now anchored off Sweden's coast, and Swedish authorities are conducting an investigation, said Kalchev.

The crew consists of eight Bulgarians and nine Myanmar nationals, and the ship’s owner has hired legal support in Sweden. Swedish prosecutors are working closely with Latvian authorities and Nato on the investigation, while Sweden’s intelligence agency (Sapo) leads the probe.