Sweden launches sabotage probe after another data cable damaged in Baltic Sea

Cable cuts on the bottom of the Baltic Sea have become more and more common in the past few months. In November, the Danish navy shadowed the Chinese bulk carrier Yi Peng 3 after Finland and Sweden opened investigations into suspected sabotage of two severed undersea telecoms cables.

Another undersea data cable, this time connecting Sweden and Latvia, has been severed in the Baltic Sea, officials from both countries said Sunday. The incident prompted Sweden to launch a criminal probe into the matter and seize a "suspect vessel" headed for Russia.

Latvia said it had dispatched a warship on Sunday after damage to a fibre optic cable to Sweden that may have been “due to external factors”.

The navy said it had identified a “suspect vessel”, the Michalis San, which was near the location of the incident along with two other ships.

The Michalis San was headed for Russia, according to several websites tracking naval traffic.

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Nations around the Baltic Sea are scrambling to bolster their defences after the suspected sabotage of undersea cables in recent months.

After several telecom and power cables were severed, experts and politicians accused Russia of orchestrating a hybrid war against the West as the two sides square off over Ukraine.

NATO earlier this month announced it was launching a new monitoring mission in the Baltic Sea involving patrol ships and aircraft to deter any attempts to target undersea infrastructure in the region.

Prime Minister Evika Silina said: “We have notified the Swedish authorities and are working together with them to assess the damage and its reason.”

Data ‘disruption’

(AFP)


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