Norwegian Authorities Detain Vessel with Russian Crew Suspected of Cable Damage in Baltic Sea

The Norwegian police have detained the vessel Silver Dania, registered in Norway, with a crew composed of Russian citizens. The arrest was made in connection with an investigation into the ship's possible involvement in the damage to an optical fiber cable in the Baltic Sea that connects Latvia with the Swedish island of Gotland, reports NewsBox.

The vessel was detained at the request of the Latvian authorities. The owner and crew of the Silver Dania voluntarily followed the coast guard vessel into port. Currently, a search is being conducted on board, and the crew members are being questioned by the Tromsø police, writes BBC.

Silver Dania, owned by the Norwegian company Silver Sea and sailing under the Norwegian flag, was en route from St. Petersburg to Murmansk. The shipowner stated that the crew is not involved in the cable damage and "did nothing wrong." According to Silver Sea's head, Tormod Fossmark, the vessel passed near Gotland but did not anchor in that area.

The Russian Embassy in Norway has requested information from the Tromsø police regarding the circumstances of the ship and crew's detention. The embassy's press service reported that the Norwegian police did not inform them about the detention of Russian citizens. According to TASS, the ship's crew consists of 11 Russians.

According to the Barents Observer, the management company for Silver Dania is Fjord Shipping, which, as reported, "works closely with Russian partners." The Barents Observer also noted that another vessel from the company, Silver Copenhagen, is involved in transporting Russian fish to European ports.

It should be noted that the communication cable between Ventspils (Latvia) and Gotland was damaged on January 26. Immediately after the incident, Swedish authorities detained the cargo ship Vezhen, registered in Malta and owned by the Bulgarian company Navigation Maritime Bulgare. It was reported that this vessel, along with several others, was in the area of the cable damage.

Recently, this incident is already the fourth case of underwater cable damage in the Baltic Sea. Previously, cables connecting Sweden to Lithuania, Germany to Finland, and Finland to Estonia were damaged. Western countries have expressed suspicions about Russia's possible involvement in these incidents, but the Russian side denies these allegations. In response to the incidents, NATO has increased its presence in the region.