Ships have been seized – gross sabotage is being investigated

 

The Swedish Armed Forces
Investigation begins after the cable break

Amanda Hällsten

Emil Forsberg

Updated 23.02 | Published 20.56

NATO ships in Copenhagen. Photo: Ida Marie Odgaard / Scanpix Denmark

At least one underwater cable to Gotland has been damaged in the Swedish economic zone.

Now a ship has been seized – and boarded.

Säpo suspects gross sabotage.
 

The cable is said to have damaged early Sunday morning.

– At present, there is reason to believe that the cable is significantly damaged and that the damage is due to external influences, says Vineta Sprugaine, head of communications for the state-run television channel LVRTC.

It concerns a fiber cable that runs between Latvia and Gotland.

A ship suspected of carrying out the sabotage has been seized following a decision by Swedish prosecutors.

– Swedish authorities are on board the ship, says Gabriel Wernstedt, press secretary at the Swedish Security Service, to TT on Sunday evening.

Data from the ship tracking site Vesselfinder shows how the Maltese-flagged cargo ship Vezhen is being followed by the Swedish Coast Guard ship KBV 033 towards Swedish waters.

It is now anchored off Karlskrona.

The ship left the Russian port of Ust-Luga on Friday. It has not yet been confirmed that Vezhen is included in the investigation, but according to the Coast Guard, KBV 033 is participating in the operation.

– We can confirm our position, but not what we are doing there, says the Coast Guard's press communicator Mattias Lindholm.
 

The Swedish Armed Forces do not want to comment on the ship.

The Latvian Navy has previously investigated the Maltese-flagged vessel "Michalis San", but did not detect any suspicious activity on board and the vessel's anchor was not damaged.

The Barbados-flagged vessel Pskov is also being identified as an interesting vessel in the investigation. It is now being escorted by three NATO ships from Finland and Estonia.

Vehzens passed Gotland on Sunday and was off Karlskrona on Sunday evening. It has not been confirmed whether Vehzen is included in the investigation. Photo: Vesselfinder

Aggravated sabotage is being investigated

Säpo is now opening an investigation into aggravated sabotage.

"The Security Police are conducting the preliminary investigation because it may be a serious crime that may at least partly be directed against Swedish interests," Säpo writes in a press release.

Senior Prosecutor Mats Ljungqvist is leading the investigation investigation.

– Several authorities, including the National Police Operations Department, the Coast Guard and the Armed Forces are involved in the investigation. I can confirm that Swedish authorities are now working intensively and jointly to investigate this incident, he says.

Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson comments on it.

– This is an ongoing operation and the government is closely following the development of events and is in contact with the relevant authorities, he says.

The cable runs between Ventspils, Latvia, and Gotland, Sweden.

NATO operation in the area

After the suspected sabotage, the Latvian Navy contacted NATO allies, including Sweden.

“We are aware of the information about a possible cable break in the Baltic Sea. NATO ships and aircraft are working together with national resources from the Baltic Sea countries to investigate and, if necessary, take action. "The strengthened presence in the  Baltic Sea enables a rapid and coordinated response if required," writes the Swedish Navy's press officer Jimmie Adamsson in a comment to Aftonbladet.