Damaged Baltic cable: Norway arrests vessel with Russian crew

Norwegian police have arrested a ship with a Russian crew on suspicion of involvement in the damage to a fibre optic cable between Latvia and Sweden in the Baltic Sea.

Norwegian authorities confirmed that the Silver Dania was detained following a legal request from Latvian authorities and a court order. The vessel is registered in Norway and owned by a Norwegian company, operating between St. Petersburg and Murmansk. The crew is Russian.

The ship was intercepted by the coast guard vessel KV Bison during an operation led by the police at around 21:00 on Thursday. At that time, the ship was in Norway’s exclusive economic zone near the Tromsø area.

The following morning, the ship was escorted to Tromsø port. Police are now conducting a search, questioning the crew, and collecting evidence. The Norwegian Police Security Service has been notified of the case.

The investigation into a possible sabotage after the damage to the underwater fibre optic cable has centred on the bulk carrier Vezhen, which passed by the site at 00:45 GMT on Sunday, 26 January.

Swedish prosecutors issued a detention order for the vessel in the Baltic Sea. On Monday, 27 January, Swedish authorities boarded the detained ship.