On 31 January, Norwegian police said it seized the Silver Dania cargo ship with an all-Russian crew in Tromsoe, acting on a request from Latvian authorities, Reuters reported. Police spokesperson Ronny Joergensen said the vessel was suspected of involvement in the Baltic Sea fiber cable damage between Latvia and Sweden.
The Silver Dania, Norwegian-owned and flagged, was en route from St. Petersburg to Murmansk in the Russian Arctic when detained. Norwegian police reported the owner and crew voluntarily cooperated, following coast guard vessels to port.
The Silver Sea shipping group, owner of Silver Dania, denied any involvement in the undersea cable damage.
The Bulgarian operator of the previously detained Maltese-flagged vessel Vezhen acknowledged possible “accidental” anchor damage but denied malicious intent.
Swedish prosecutor Mats Ljungqvist told Reuters they now believe the Vezhen caused the cable break, dismissing Silver Dania’s involvement after investigation. The prosecutor declined to provide additional details, citing confidentiality.
Baltic undersea infrastructure damage incidents
Since 2023, four incidents occurred involving ships damaging undersea cables and pipelines in the Baltic Sea.
- On 26 January, an undersea fiber optic cable between Latvia and Sweden undersea fiber optic cable connecting Latvia’s Ventspils with Gotland island was damaged in the Baltic Sea. Swedish authorities detained Malta-registered vessel Vezhen following suspected sabotage.
- Finnish police last month seized a Russian “shadow fleet’s” oil tanker Eagle S suspected of damaging the Finnish-Estonian Estlink 2 power line and telecoms cables.
- Last November, the Chinese bulk carrier Yi Peng 3 was suspected of severing two fiber-optic data cables, one connecting Finland and Germany and the other running between Sweden and Lithuania.
- In October 2023, Finnish police identified the Newnew Polar Bear, a Hong Kong-registered container ship, and the Russian nuclear-powered cargo ship Sevmorput as suspected of involvement in the damage to the Balticconnector natural gas pipeline and telecommunications cables in the Gulf of Finland on 7 October. Both vessels are also suspected of possible involvement in damage to the EE-S1 submarine communications cable between Sweden and Estonia.
Related:
- Sweden seizes ship that departed from Russia over Baltic Sea cable damage
- Estonia plans to guard energy sites during break from Russian grid
- Russian shadow fleet’s Eagle S remains under arrest as damage claims mount
- Finland says Russian shadow fleet tanker crew planned more cable sabotage before arrest
- Swedish navy recovers Russian shadow fleet tanker’s anchor in Finnish Gulf cable damage case
- Russia’s strategic Ust-Luga port targeted by drones for second time in a year
- German FM calls for more Russian shadow fleet sanctions after Baltic cable damage
