Bulgarian ship suspected in Baltic Sea cable damage probe
A Bulgarian cargo ship may have damaged the underwater cable in the Baltic Sea, raising suspicions of a possible "sabotage act." Investigators are examining whether an anchor was involved in the incident, as the vessel had previously docked in a Russian port.
The cargo ship Vezhen, which might have damaged the underwater cable running between Sweden and Latvia on Saturday, is owned by Navigation Maritime Bulgare. According to the Bulgarian company, the incident was not intentional. This information was provided by Reuters, citing Aleksandar Kalchev, head of the Bulgarian transport company. NATO naval forces quickly responded to the damage of the underwater cable in the Baltic, as reported by MARCOM, the central command of all NATO naval forces, located in Northwood, UK.
Ship suspected of sabotage set sail from a Russian port
The Bulgarian ship Vezhen, suspected of damaging the underwater cable connection between Latvia and Sweden, was flying the Maltese flag and set sail from a Russian port. It is anchored near Karlskrona, off the southeastern coast of Sweden, after Swedish authorities boarded it on Saturday evening. In photos, one of the anchors pulled up is missing an arm, suggesting that the element may have been torn off. It is also possible that the damage was an accidental result of difficult weather conditions in the Baltic Sea.
As reported by PAP, the head of the Bulgarian transport company explained that it could not be ruled out that one of the anchors dropped due to strong winds and hit the fibre optic cable. On Sunday evening, Swedish authorities announced that they had begun investigating the damage to the underwater cable connection between Latvia and the island of Gotland, suspecting a "sabotage act."
NATO maintains a constant presence in the Baltic Sea
On Tuesday, as part of the NATO Baltic Sentry operation, the Swedish armed forces deployed the corvette HMS Visby to monitor the Baltic Sea. NATO countries have taken additional measures due to previous cases of underwater cables being cut, suspected to be by ships forming the so-called Russian shadow fleet or Chinese units. NATO ships and aircraft have reacted to the damage sustained by the underwater cable in the Baltic Sea, with close cooperation underway with regional allies, according to Arlo Abrahamson, spokesperson for NATO Naval Command (MARCOM).
General Christopher G. Cavoli, the commanding officer of NATO in Europe, as quoted by PAP, emphasized that the Baltic Sentry operation aims to effectively deter destabilizing actions that have been observed in recent months. This initiative is a response to incidents from December 25 and the damage to underwater cables connecting Estonia and Finland. Although Baltic Sentry is a new operation, NATO units consistently patrol and conduct exercises in the Baltic Sea. Comprising warships, submarines, and aircraft supported by advanced surveillance technology, NATO forces continuously oversee the security of waters throughout the region.
Hybrid attacks and sabotage of marine infrastructure are a real challenge for NATO
As reported by PAP, there is a strong belief at NATO headquarters in Brussels and in member states that protecting critical underwater infrastructure requires special attention. Russia has long been developing technologically advanced underwater research programs that effectively map NATO's critical infrastructure, as noted by a senior official in an interview with a group of journalists.
As part of this program, Russia uses specialized water units, including submarines and drones, capable of damaging cables or placing explosive charges near pipelines. In response, NATO established Baltic Sentry in the UK, a new command dedicated to protecting this infrastructure.
