Wall Street Wizardry
  • Business
  • World News
  • Politics
  • Investing
  • Business
  • World News
  • Politics
  • Investing

Wall Street Wizardry

World News

Baltic undersea cable likely damaged by external force, Latvia says

by admin January 27, 2025
January 27, 2025
Baltic undersea cable likely damaged by external force, Latvia says

An undersea fiber optic cable between Latvia and Sweden was damaged on Sunday, likely as a result of external influence, Latvia said, triggering an investigation by local and NATO maritime forces in the Baltic Sea.

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

Latvia is coordinating with NATO and the countries of the Baltic Sea region to clarify the circumstances, she said separately in a post on X.

Latvia’s navy earlier on Sunday said it had dispatched a patrol boat to inspect a ship and that two other vessels were also subject to investigation.

Up to several thousand commercial vessels make their way through the Baltic Sea at any given time, and a number of them passed the broken cable on Sunday, data from the MarinTraffic ship tracking service showed.

One such ship, the Malta-flagged bulk carrier Vezhen, was closely followed by a Swedish coast guard vessel on Sunday evening, MarineTraffic data showed, and the two were heading in toward the southern Swedish coastline.

It was not immediately clear if the Vezhen, which passed the fiber optic cable at 0045 GMT on Sunday, was subject to investigation.

A Swedish coastguard spokesperson declined to comment on the Vezhen or the position of coastguard ships.

“We are in a stage where we cannot give any information,” the spokesperson said. “Exactly how we are involved we cannot say.”

Bulgarian shipping company Navigation Maritime Bulgare, which listed the Vezhen among its fleet, did not immediately reply when called and emailed by Reuters outside of office hours.

NATO cooperation

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

“NATO ships and aircrafts are working together with national resources from the Baltic Sea countries to investigate and, if necessary, take action,” the alliance said in a statement on Sunday.

Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson said his country was cooperating closely with NATO and Latvia.

“Sweden will contribute important capabilities to the ongoing effort to investigate the suspected incident,” Kristersson said on X.

NATO said last week it would deploy frigates, patrol aircraft and naval drones in the Baltic Sea to help protect critical infrastructure and reserved the right to take action against ships suspected of posing a security threat.

The military alliance is taking the action, dubbed “Baltic Sentry”, following a string of incidents in which power cables, telecom links and gas pipelines have been damaged in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

Finnish police last month seized a tanker carrying Russian oil and said they suspected the vessel had damaged the Finnish-Estonian Estlink 2 power line and four telecoms cables by dragging its anchor across the seabed.

Finland’s prime minister in a statement said the latest cable damage highlighted the need to increase protection for critical undersea infrastructure in the Baltic Sea.

The cable that broke on Sunday linked the Latvian town of Ventspils with Sweden’s Gotland island, and was damaged in Sweden’s exclusive economic zone, the Latvian navy said.

Communications providers were able to switch to alternative transmission routes, the cable’s operator, Latvian State Radio and Television Centre (LVRTC), said in a statement, adding it was seeking to contract a vessel to begin repairs.

“The exact nature of the damage can only be determined once cable repair work begins,” LVRTC said.

A spokesperson for the operator said the cable, laid at depths of more than 50 metres (164 ft), was damaged on early Sunday but declined to give an exact time of the incident.

Unlike seabed gas pipelines and power cables, which can take many months to repair after damage, fiber optic cables that have suffered damage in the Baltic Sea have generally been restored within weeks.

A Swedish Post and Telecom Authority spokesperson said it was aware of the situation but had no further comment.

This post appeared first on cnn.com

previous post
Trump calls for Jordan, Egypt to accept more Palestinian refugees: ‘Clean out that whole thing’
next post
Airstrike kills at least 70 seeking care at last functioning hospital in North Darfur capital as Sudan’s civil war rages

Related Posts

Inside the NATO charm offensive that shocked as...

June 27, 2025

Japan cracks down on ‘sparkly’ names for babies...

May 29, 2025

Two arrested as investigation into ‘QatarGate’ in Israel...

April 2, 2025

El Salvador arrests human rights lawyer critical of...

May 20, 2025

Germany accuses China of laser targeting aircraft in...

July 9, 2025

Self-proclaimed misogynist Andrew Tate and his brother appear...

March 25, 2025

Ecuador votes for its next president amid deadly...

April 14, 2025

Russian propaganda changed its tune, but so has...

March 7, 2025

Airstrike kills at least 70 seeking care at...

January 27, 2025

Sycamore Gap: Two men convicted of felling one...

May 9, 2025

    Join our mailing list to get access to special deals, promotions, and insider information. Your exclusive benefits await! Enjoy personalized recommendations, first dibs on sales, and members-only content that makes you feel like a true VIP. Sign up now and start saving!


    By opting in you agree to receive emails from us and our affiliates. Your information is secure and your privacy is protected.

    Editors’ Picks

    • 1

      Netflix shares soar as company reports surging revenue, tops 300 million subscribers

      January 23, 2025
    • 2

      Financial Agreement signed releasing $2M grant

      January 23, 2025
    • 3

      Universal’s ‘Wicked: For Good’ creates a unique marketing challenge

      January 26, 2025
    • 4

      US security contractor will take charge of key checkpoint in Gaza as Israeli forces withdraw

      January 25, 2025
    • 5

      Trump re-designates Iranian-backed Houthis as terrorists: ‘Threaten[s] security of American civilians’

      January 23, 2025
    • 6

      Cyclopharm Signs US Agreement with HCA Healthcare for Technegas®

      January 23, 2025
    • 7

      FDA officially authorizes Zyn nicotine pouches for sale following health review

      January 23, 2025
    • About us
    • Contacts
    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms and Conditions
    • Email Whitelisting

    Disclaimer: wallstreetwizardry.com, its managers, its employees, and assigns (collectively “The Company”) do not make any guarantee or warranty about what is advertised above. Information provided by this website is for research purposes only and should not be considered as personalized financial advice. The Company is not affiliated with, nor does it receive compensation from, any specific security. The Company is not registered or licensed by any governing body in any jurisdiction to give investing advice or provide investment recommendation. Any investments recommended here should be taken into consideration only after consulting with your investment advisor and after reviewing the prospectus or financial statements of the company.


    Copyright © 2025 wallstreetwizardry.com | All Rights Reserved