Swedish Authorities Board Ship Seized Over Damage to Baltic Sea Cable

The cargo ship Vezhen is anchored for examination by Swedish authorities outside Karlskrona, Sweden, on Jan. 27, 2025. Johan Nilsson /Reuters

Swedish authorities have boarded a ship sailing under the Maltese flag that was seized in connection with a Baltic Sea cable damage probe.

On Jan. 26, Latvian authorities said that an undersea cable between Latvia and Sweden was damaged earlier in the day in Sweden’s exclusive economic zone, likely as a result of “external influence.”

The military alliance NATO deployed patrol ships to the area, which triggered a sabotage investigation by Swedish authorities.

A Swedish prosecutor then ordered the seizing of a ship called the Vezhen as part of the investigation.

On Jan. 27, Swedish Security Services spokesperson Johan Wikstrom said, “We can confirm that persons from Swedish authorities have been on board the vessel to carry out investigative measures.”

‘Significant’

On Jan. 26, Latvian Prime Minister Evika Silina said her government was coordinating with NATO and other countries in the Baltic Sea region to clarify the circumstances surrounding the latest incident.

“We have determined that there is most likely external damage and that it is significant,” Silina told reporters following an extraordinary government meeting.

According to Marine Traffic, the Vezhen, a bulk carrier built in 2022 and currently sailing under the flag of Malta, was escorted by a coast guard vessel on Jan. 26 to Swedish waters, where it later anchored.

It was not clear that the Vezhen caused any damage. The Latvian navy said on Jan. 26 that three ships were subject to investigation.

Swedish navy spokesperson Jimmie Adamsson said it was too soon to say what caused the damage to the cable or whether it was intentional or a technical fault.

On Jan. 27, the Bulgarian shipping company Navigation Maritime Bulgare, which owns the Vezhen, posted a statement that said it does not have information about any “intentional actions” by the crew of the ship that “could lead to such an incident.”

“According to the information we have received, this is a force majeure situation that occurred due to the unfavorable hydrometeorological conditions in the area,” it stated.

It added that it supports the “authorities in the investigation and is ready to provide all necessary information in order to clarify the case.”

Sea Cables

NATO Baltic Sea countries have stepped up their security following a recent spate of incidents in the region that have heightened concerns about possible Chinese and Russian activities.

On Jan. 14, NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte said that enhanced military activity he called “Baltic Sentry,” involving a range of assets—including frigates, maritime patrol aircraft military presence, and fleets of naval drones—will respond to “destabilizing acts.”

On Dec. 25, Finnish police seized the Eagle S tanker carrying Russian oil, saying it suspected the vessel had dragged its anchor along the seabed, damaging the Estonia–Finland Estlink 2 power line and four telecoms cables.

Finland’s actions against the tanker showed that ships causing harm can be apprehended by law enforcement, Rutte said.

“Ship captains must understand that potential threats to our infrastructure will have consequences, including possible boarding, impounding, and arrest,” Rutte said.

Yi Peng 3

Two undersea fiber-optic cables in the Baltic Sea were damaged in November 2024 within 24 hours, coinciding with the movements of the Yi Peng 3, a Chinese bulk carrier with a capacity of 75,200 deadweight tons.

Telia Lietuva’s 135-mile cable between Lithuania and Sweden’s Gotland went offline on Nov. 17 at 8 a.m. GMT, followed by the 745-mile Cinia C-Lion1 cable linking Finland and Germany, which failed on Nov. 18 at 2 a.m. GMT.

The C-Lion1 cable runs alongside the Nord Stream pipelines.

In December, Sweden criticized the Chinese regime, claiming it refused to allow its main investigator on board to investigate.

“It is something the government inherently takes seriously,” Swedish Foreign Minister Maria Malmer Stenergard said in comments to the Financial Times on Dec. 22.

“It is remarkable that the ship leaves without the prosecutor being given the opportunity to inspect the vessel and question the crew within the framework of a Swedish criminal investigation.”

The Yi Peng 3, which had been sitting idle for more than a month in international waters inside Denmark’s exclusive economic zone, sailed away from its mooring on Dec. 21.

The incidents in the Baltic Sea occurred a little more than a year after the Hong Kong-registered Newnew Polar Bear container ship was suspected of damaging an Estonia–Finland gas pipeline and two undersea cables connecting Estonia, Finland, and Sweden.

Reuters contributed to this report.