Sweden Rules Out Sabotage in Baltic Sea Cable Damage

Investigators attribute the January 26 fiber-optic cable rupture to poor seamanship and bad weather, dismissing initial concerns of deliberate interference.

• Swedish authorities have concluded that the January 26 undersea fiber-optic cable break between Sweden and Latvia was not an act of sabotage.
• The investigation found that the Bulgarian vessel Vezhen caused the damage due to a combination of bad weather, equipment deficiencies, and poor seamanship.
• The ship, initially seized during the investigation, has now been released after no evidence of intentional wrongdoing was found.
• Estonian Infrastructure Minister Vladimir Svet expressed skepticism about the incident being accidental, citing a pattern of similar events in the Baltic Sea during heightened geopolitical tensions.
• The Baltic region has seen increased focus on protecting critical infrastructure, with NATO deploying ships and launching the Baltic Sentry mission to safeguard undersea cables and energy systems.

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