Swedish prosecutors have concluded their investigation into damage to an undersea communication cable between Sweden and Latvia, determining the incident to be accidental rather than a result of sabotage. The investigation was prompted by the discovery of the cable damage on January 26, 2025. Initially, authorities detained the Maltese-flagged vessel, Vezhen, on suspicions of gross sabotage, but it was released shortly afterward.
Senior Prosecutor Mats Ljungqvist from the National Security Unit reported that a coordinated effort among the Security Police, Coast Guard, and Armed Forces clarified the cable break’s causes. The investigation identified severe weather conditions, technical failures, and potential negligence in the vessel’s handling as contributing factors. Key findings revealed a series of equipment malfunctions that ultimately led to the cable damage.
High waves on the night of January 25 caused the Vezhen’s anchor to malfunction, releasing the anchor chain. The vessel’s autopilot system failed to alert the crew to the change in trajectory, leading it to inadvertently drag across the communication cable in the Swedish economic zone. Thus, authorities concluded that the incident was not deliberate in nature.
The Bulgarian shipping company operating the Vezhen acknowledged that the anchor dropped during rough conditions but denied any intentions of sabotage. The case has since been referred to Latvian authorities, who are launching their own investigation, reflecting the ongoing tensions in the Baltic region following multiple disruptions to critical infrastructure since the onset of the Ukraine conflict in 2022.
Share it now
