Swedish authorities have seized a ship over the “aggravated sabotage” of an undersea fibre-optic cable linking Latvia with a strategically important island in Sweden.

James Stavridis is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist, a retired US Navy admiral, former supreme allied commander of NATO, and vice chairman of global affairs at the Carlyle Group. The controversial dismissal of the US Coast Guard commandant,

Swedish authorities investigate a vessel suspected of damaging an undersea cable in the Baltic Sea, involving multiple agencies in the inquiry.

A subsea cable connecting Latvia to Sweden’s Gotland island is the latest cable to be damaged in the Baltic Sea. Owned by Latvia’s State Radio and Television Centre (LVRTC), the cable’s Ventspils–Gotland segment was damaged early on January 26, at depths of 100m.

The undersea cable between Latvia and Sweden was damaged early on Jan 26 in Sweden’s exclusive economic zone. Read more at straitstimes.com.

Earlier this month, NATO launched a new mission, “Baltic Sentry,” to enhance surveillance and deterrence in the Baltic Sea. The operation includes frigates, maritime patrol aircraft, and naval drones, with a focus on protecting undersea assets.

As tensions rise, NATO has launched Baltic Sentry 2025 to enhance security and resilience. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has emphasized the need for greater coordination in protecting critical infrastructure from sabotage.

Nord Stream 2 was damaged by explosions in September 2022, leading to four gas leaks—two in Sweden’s economic zone and two in Denmark’s waters.

Sweden is investigating damage to a data cable linked to Latvia, the latest breach in the Baltic Sea region where European authorities are on high alert.

Swedish authorities seized the Vezhen, sailing under the flag of Malta and registered with a Bulgarian shipping company, on Sunday over suspected sabotage of an underwater cable.

Swedish prosecutors announced an investigation into a ship suspected of damaging undersea cables after it was detained by the Swedish Coast Guard, the AP news agency reported on Jan. 27. According to information obtained by the AP from a ship-tracker software,