An undersea fiber optic cable between Latvia and Sweden was damaged on Sunday, January 26, likely as a result of an external impact, Latvia said, adding that its navy had sent a patrol boat to inspect the ship suspected of being involved.
Two other vessels in the area were also under investigation, the Latvian Navy said.
"We have determined that there is most likely external damage and that it is significant," Latvian Prime Minister Evika Silina told reporters after an emergency government session.
Latvia is coordinating with NATO and the countries of the Baltic Sea region to clarify the circumstances, Silina wrote in a separate post on the social network X.
Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson said his country is working closely with Latvia and NATO on this issue.
"Sweden will contribute to the ongoing efforts to investigate the suspicious incident," Kristerson wrote on X.
NATO said last week it would deploy frigates, patrol aircraft and naval drones to the Baltic Sea to help protect critical infrastructure and reserves the right to take action against ships suspected of posing a security threat.
The military alliance is taking action, dubbed "Baltic Guard," after a series of incidents in which power cables, telecommunications links, and gas pipelines were damaged following Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
Finnish police seized a tanker carrying Russian oil last month and said they suspected the ship had damaged the Finland-Estonia Estlink 2 power line and four telecommunications cables by dragging its anchor along the seabed.
The cable that broke on Sunday connected the Latvian city of Ventspils to the Swedish island of Gotland and was damaged in Sweden's exclusive economic zone, the Latvian Navy said.
A spokesman for the Swedish Post and Telecommunications Authority said it was aware of the situation but had no further comment.
The Swedish Navy and Coast Guard did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
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