NATO investigates Baltic seabed cable incident as ship seized
According to NATO Maritime Command (MARCOM) spokesperson Arlo Abrahamson, NATO ships and aircraft have responded to the damage to an underwater cable in the Baltic Sea.
NATO Maritime Command spokesperson Arlo Abrahamson stated that NATO ships and planes responded to Sunday morning's events in the Baltic Sea. An underwater fibre optic cable between the western coast of Latvia and the Swedish island of Gotland was damaged.
- We're working closely with our allies in the region - added Abrahamson.
Operation "Baltic Guard"
MARCOM is the central command of all NATO naval forces in Northwood, United Kingdom. NATO Allied Command Operations (ACO), responsible for planning and executing all Alliance operations, is currently conducting Operation "Baltic Guard" in the Baltic Sea to deter any attempts to damage critical underwater infrastructure.
Although the operation is a new initiative, NATO forces maintain a constant presence in the Baltic Sea, conducting regular patrols and joint exercises. Warships, submarines, and planes, supported by advanced maritime surveillance technology, monitor the waters across the region.
Hybrid attacks, including submarine cable sabotage, increasingly threaten NATO countries. NATO is currently working on a new strategy to protect critical seabed infrastructure.
The investigation of the damage and a new lead
Latvian and Swedish authorities are currently conducting an investigation into the damage to the fibre optic cable between Latvia and Sweden. The malfunction had no significant impact on data transmission.
Meanwhile, on Monday, the owner of the Bulgarian shipping company Navigation Maritime Bulgare disclosed that a Bulgarian ship, Vezhen, registered under the Maltese flag, may have been responsible for the cable damage. The owner explained that due to strong winds, the vessel dropped anchor, which could have damaged the cable.
The Swedish newspaper Expressen reported that Swedish authorities had seized the ship. The Bulgarians insist that the malfunction was not caused by "malicious intent." Photos published by the newspaper show that one of the vessel's anchors is damaged. The container ship was reported to have been sailing from a Russian port.
