Europe’s undersea infrastructure faces increasing disruptions, with gas pipelines, power lines, and data cables under threat. Recent damage to a critical cable between Sweden and Latvia adds to the series of incidents across the Baltic Sea.
Incidents damaging Europe’s undersea networks have become more frequent since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, raising suspicions they are the result of sabotage.
The authorities said they believed the vessel may have been involved in damaging the cable, the latest act of apparent sabotage in the Baltic Sea.
An undersea fiber optic cable between Latvia and Sweden was damaged on Sunday, likely as a result of external influence, Latvia said, triggering an investigation by local and NATO maritime forces in the Baltic Sea.
The Arelion submarine cable, which connects the Swedish island of Gotland to Lithuania, and the C-Lion 1 submarine communications cable that runs between Finland's capital Helsinki and the German city of Rostock were also damaged in mid-November near Sweden's territorial waters.
The Russian crew and Norway-owned shipping company are cooperating with the authorities, police say, days after Sweden detained another vessel.
The Nordic country has opened an investigation into the damage, just weeks after NATO stepped up its military presence in the area following a series of similar incidents.
Norwegian police seized a Russian-crewed ship on suspicion of being involved in causing “serious damage” to a fiber cable in the Baltic Sea between Latvia and Sweden.
Lufthansa said on Wednesday it had agreed to receive a stake of 10% in Latvian airline airBaltic, as the German airline seeks to strengthen its international network.
Latvia borders Russia to its east and Russia ally Belarus to its southeast. Tensions are high across Central Europe due to Russia's war against Ukraine. Sweden's armed forces said the mission of 550 troops will contribute to the alliance’s deterrence and ...
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Deutsche Lufthansa AG will buy a 10% stake in Latvian flag carrier AirBaltic AS as the German carrier group continues its consolidation push in Europe.