Sweden Frees Ship Seized in Baltic Sea Cable Incident, Rules Out Sabotage
A Swedish prosecutor disclosed on Monday that the Maltese-flagged Vezhen cargo ship accidentally severed an undersea cable in the Baltic Sea. The prosecutor clarified that it was an unintentional event, not an act of sabotage.
On Jan. 26, the subsea cable connecting Sweden and Latvia was cut, sparking an investigation into vessels suspected of causing the damage. Senior Prosecutor Mats Ljungqvist determined that Vezhen’s anchor cut through the cable due to adverse weather conditions, equipment malfunctions, and poor seamanship.
Ljungqvist confirmed that the Maltese-flagged ship has been released. He explained, “We have evidence showing that the anchor was dropped without crew involvement. There is video footage of a wave striking the lock, causing the anchor to drop. Based on this, we can confirm it was not a deliberate attack.”
After more than 24 hours of dragging its anchor, the crew eventually noticed its drop, as Ljungqvist pointed out. The findings align with Navigation Maritime Bulgare’s statement, asserting that the incident resulted from unforeseen hydrometeorological conditions in the area.
Swedish authorities seized and boarded Vezhen the day after the cable was damaged in Sweden’s exclusive economic zone. Similarly, the Norwegian cargo ship Silver Dania, with an all-Russian crew, was cleared of any wrongdoing and released after being seized in Norway at Latvia’s request.
The Baltic Sea region has been on high alert following a series of disruptions to power cables, telecom links, and gas pipelines since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Concerns about potential Chinese and Russian activities in the area have prompted increased security measures by NATO members Norway, Sweden, and Latvia.
NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte announced the “Baltic Sentry” military operation involving various assets to counter destabilizing actions in the region. Additionally, Estonian Defense Minister Hanno Pevkur proposed imposing a fee on ships using the Baltic Sea to fund patrols and protect undersea cables.
(Source: Reuters)
