Swedish authorities have ruled out sabotage in the case of a damaged fiber-optic cable in the Baltic Sea and announced the release of a detained Bulgarian vessel, concluding that the incident was purely accidental.
The Malta-flagged Vezhen was seized after the underwater cable linking Sweden and Latvia suffered damage on January 26. However, Senior Prosecutor Mats Ljungqvist clarified that a mix of rough weather, faulty equipment, and poor navigation caused the break. “We have film footage where we can see a wave hitting the lock, and the anchor drops. In this case, we can say, ‘No, it wasn’t a hybrid attack,’” he explained.
Investigators discovered that two of the ship’s three anchor-locking mechanisms had been out of service for some time, leaving only a manual lock in place. Alexander Kalchev, CEO of the ship’s operator, Navibulgar, confirmed that one of the vessel’s anchors was damaged and likely dragged along the seafloor.
A Pattern of Undersea Disruptions
The incident occurred in Swedish territorial waters at a depth of 50 meters, damaging a cable owned by Latvia’s state radio and television company. At the time, the Vezhen was transporting fertilizer from Russia’s Ust-Luga port to South America.
Although this case wasn’t sabotage, it’s the latest in a string of undersea infrastructure disruptions since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. NATO has been on high alert, as recent incidents include:
- December 2023 – Finland and Estonia’s EstLink 2 power cable was damaged, with NATO allies suspecting the Eagle S oil tanker, believed to be part of a shadow fleet dodging EU sanctions on Russian oil.
- November 2023 – A Chinese vessel allegedly damaged two fiber-optic cables linking Nordic countries to mainland Europe. Some European officials, however, suspected Russian involvement and called it “hybrid warfare.”
- October 2023 – The Balticconnector gas pipeline between Finland and Estonia was cut. Investigators pointed to the Chinese container ship Newnew Polar Bear, which also damaged telecom cables before heading to a Russian port.
- September 2022 – Explosions crippled the Nord Stream pipelines between Russia and Germany. The Wall Street Journal later reported that Ukrainian intelligence, military officials, and high-level Polish collaborators were involved. Moscow blamed Germany for failing to conduct a proper investigation.
With growing concerns over maritime security, NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte recently announced a new mission to protect critical undersea infrastructure in the Baltic Sea. He warned that any vessel engaging in hostile activity could face severe consequences—including boarding, impounding, and arrests.
