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Sweden has confirmed that authorities are investigating the suspected sabotage of a Baltic Sea fiber-optic cable connecting Sweden and Latvia with a Bulgarian-owned tanker.
Some shit you should know before you read: In 2024, there was a notable uptick in incidents involving damage to undersea cables in the Baltic Sea, raising concerns over deliberate sabotage. Several cases were linked to ships purposely dragging their anchors across the seabed, severing critical communication lines. One prominent example involved a Russian-linked vessel suspected of intentionally cutting a cable between Estonia and Finland in early 2024, a case that remains under investigation to this day. These underwater cables are vital for transmitting internet data, military communications, and media services, making them critical infrastructure for both civilian and defense purposes. These incidents have resulted in NATO increasing its presence in the Baltic to counter anyone attempting to sabotage underwater cables.

What’s going on now: In an announcement, Swedish authorities revealed that they are investigating the suspected sabotage of a critical undersea fiber-optic cable connecting Sweden and Latvia. The Swedish intelligence service, Sapo, is leading the investigation into what prosecutors have labeled “aggravated sabotage.” A Bulgarian-owned, Maltese-flagged tanker named Vezhen is at the center of the investigation after being intercepted near the location of the damage.
According to Swedish officials, the ship was traveling through the area where the cable break occurred, between the Swedish island of Gotland and Latvia. Tracking data showed the vessel had recently departed from Russia before the incident, further raising suspicions.

Swedish authorities have confirmed that multiple agencies, including the Coast Guard, police, and military, have been involved in examining the vessel since Sunday evening. Investigators suspect the damage may have been caused by the tanker’s anchor dragging along the seafloor. The ship’s owner, Navigation Maritime Bulgare (Navibulgar), acknowledged that an inspection found one of the Vezhen‘s anchors was damaged and had dropped into the sea, potentially hitting the cable. However, the company has strongly denied any intentional sabotage, describing the incident as a likely technical accident caused by bad weather.
The tanker, carrying fertilizer from the Russian port of Ust-Luga, has a crew of eight Bulgarians and nine Myanmar nationals.
More to come