Norway Detains Russian Ship Over Suspected Undersea Cable Damage

Norwegian police have seized a Russian-crewed cargo vessel implicated in damaging undersea communication cables, amid escalating fears of sabotage in the Baltic Sea following similar incidents in recent years.

Norwegian authorities reported on Friday the detention of a Russian-crewed ship, suspected of being involved in the damaging of an undersea cable linking Sweden and Latvia. The Norwegian police acted on a request from Latvia and an order from the courts, marking a significant development in the investigation of rising acts of sabotage in the region.

This incident follows a history of concerns regarding undersea infrastructure security, particularly after explosions that severely damaged the Nord Stream gas pipelines in 2022. In response to such vulnerabilities, NATO has increased its patrols and surveillance efforts in the Baltic Sea.

The vessel in question, the 36-year-old Silver Dania, is owned by a Norwegian company and was captured by Norway’s coast guard and police while en route between the Russian ports of St. Petersburg and Murmansk. It was towed to Tromso for an investigation, where officials searched for evidence and interrogated the crew about the damaged cable.

The ship's owners deny any wrongdoing and assert their cooperation with authorities. In a related incident, Swedish authorities boarded another vessel connected to an act they deemed “gross sabotage” against an undersea cable the day before.

Suspicion of Russian involvement in damaging undersea cables has heightened since the cutting of an electricity cable between Finland and Estonia in December. There, Finnish officials seized an oil tanker to assess its potential role in that incident.

As geopolitical tensions persist due to the war in Ukraine, nations have expressed concerns regarding a "shadow fleet" of Russian-operated vessels suspected of sabotaging maritime infrastructure while evading Western sanctions.