Overview
- Latvia confirmed damage to a private fiber‑optic line near Liepaja on January 2, with no reported impact on domestic communications.
- Police boarded a suspected vessel in port, inspecting its anchor, equipment, and logbooks and interviewing crew, then reported no indication that this ship caused the break.
- Initial naval data suggested the vessel first crossed an inactive line before altering course over the now‑damaged cable, and the investigation remains open.
- In a separate case, Finland seized the freighter Fitburg on December 31 on suspicion it damaged the Helsinki–Tallinn cable, saying its anchor was dragged for dozens of kilometers.
- Regional militaries have stepped up patrols and monitoring as analysts point to suspected hybrid operations involving a Russian‑linked shadow fleet.