In brief
Norwegian police seized the Russian-crewed ship, Silver Dania, involved in a suspected act of sabotage on an undersea cable linking Sweden and Latvia. This incident adds to growing concerns about attacks on critical undersea infrastructure in the Baltic region, prompting NATO to enhance surveillance operations.
The Norwegian police announced on Friday the seizure of the Russian-crewed ship Silver Dania based on a request from Latvian authorities, following damage to an undersea cable that connects Sweden and Latvia. This incident marks yet another instance in a worrying pattern of sabotage targeting undersea infrastructure in the Baltic Sea, encompassing essential communication and electrical cables.The Silver Dania, a 36-year-old cargo vessel registered in Norway, was reportedly traveling between Russian ports St. Petersburg and Murmansk when it was intercepted by Norway’s coast guard and police on Thursday evening. The ship was towed to the Port of Tromso on Friday for investigation, where officers boarded the vessel to gather evidence and question the crew regarding the damaged cable.The vessel is owned by Silver Sea, whose CEO Tormod Fossmark stated that the company was cooperating with authorities, denying any wrongdoing. The current situation follows a series of escalated efforts by NATO to monitor the Baltic Sea after various sabotage incidents, including the more notable rupture of the Nord Stream pipelines in 2022.In related developments, Swedish authorities recently took action against a different ship suspected of sabotaging the same undersea cable that was damaged just the day prior. This vessel, a bulk carrier flying a Maltese flag and owned by a Bulgarian shipping company, was boarded as part of an investigation into what Sweden described as "gross sabotage."Past instances of damage due to suspected Russian involvement include the cutting of an undersea cable between Finland and Estonia, where Finnish authorities seized an oil tanker believed to have damaged the infrastructure using its anchor. Finnish and Estonian leaders have raised alarms over potential Russian tactics involving a shadow fleet aimed at undermining Western sanctions amid the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.
