Norwegian authorities have seized the Norwegian-owned, Russian-crewed cargo ship Silver Dania after Latvian authorities requested an investigation into damage to an undersea fiber optic cable between Latvia and Sweden. The ship was stopped off the coast of Tromsø on Thursday and brought into port on Friday, Norwegian police confirmed.
The cable, owned by Latvia’s state radio and television center LVRTC, was damaged on January 26. Swedish authorities have also launched an investigation into “aggravated sabotage” and detained another vessel, the Malta-flagged Vezhen, in connection with the incident.
Norwegian police reportedly boarded Silver Dania, searched the vessel, and questioned its 11-member Russian crew. No charges or detentions have been announced. The ship’s owner, Norwegian company Silver Sea, denied any wrongdoing and stated that the vessel did not drop anchor near Gotland.
The incident is part of growing concerns over undersea infrastructure security in the Baltic Sea. NATO has increased patrols in response to recent damage to communication and power cables.
Estonian officials have proposed a shipping tax to fund additional security measures, including sensors and naval patrols, to protect critical infrastructure. Investigations are ongoing in multiple countries to determine the cause of the cable damage and whether sabotage was involved.
