Sweden Seizes Maltese Ship Over Suspected Sabotage of Baltic Sea Cable

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Swedish authorities have seized the Maltese-flagged cargo ship Vezhen, which is suspected of damaging a data cable beneath the Baltic Sea that connects Latvia to other regions. The ship is currently anchored outside the port of Karlskrona, Sweden.

An initial investigation by prosecutors indicates possible sabotage, prompting an inquiry involving Sweden's police, military, and coast guard. Images shared by local media suggest that the ship's anchor was damaged, raising suspicion about its activities in the area.

Navigation Maritime Bulgare, the Bulgarian company that operates the Vezhen, reported that the ship's anchor dropped during high winds and insisted there was no malicious intent. This incident follows reports from Latvia's military on Sunday noting that three vessels were observed in the vicinity of the cable damage.

Latvian Prime Minister Evika Silina confirmed that her government is collaborating with Sweden and NATO in response to the disruption. The severed cable belongs to Latvia's state broadcaster, LVRTC, which identified "disruptions in data transmission services," although it assured that end users would be largely unaffected.

This incident comes shortly after NATO launched the Baltic Sentry mission to bolster security in the area following a series of attacks on underwater power and telecom cables, some of which have been linked to acts of sabotage, potentially associated with Russia. NATO has signaled an intent to enhance surveillance and monitoring of maritime activities in the region to prevent future incidents.

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