An underwater data cable connecting Sweden and Latvia was damaged early on Sunday morning, marking at least the fourth suspected sabotage incident in the Baltic Sea in recent months. The latest disruption has raised alarms about the vulnerability of critical infrastructure in the region, particularly amid ongoing tensions with Russia and China.
Latvian Prime Minister Evika Siliņa confirmed that the damage to the cable, which runs between the Latvian coastal town of Ventspils and Fårösund on the Swedish island of Gotland, was significant and likely caused by an external force. In response, Latvian authorities have launched a criminal investigation. The cable, which is vital for the country’s state radio and television operations, was reportedly damaged while a patrol boat was inspecting a nearby ship. Authorities also monitored two other vessels in the vicinity at the time of the incident.
Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson stated that at least one data cable had been damaged and confirmed that he was cooperating closely with Latvia and NATO. In response to growing concerns over the security of critical infrastructure in the Baltic Sea, NATO announced the deployment of drones, submarines, ships, and aircraft to monitor the area in a mission dubbed Baltic Sentry. This move follows previous damage to undersea cables that had been linked to potential sabotage attempts by Russian and Chinese ships.
In one of the earlier incidents, Finnish authorities seized a vessel linked to Russia’s shadow fleet of oil tankers, a fleet of aging ships often registered in obscure jurisdictions to bypass international sanctions. Finland has since initiated a criminal investigation into the matter, which it is treating as aggravated sabotage. Elina Valtonen, Finland’s Foreign Minister, stated that it was unlikely the incidents involving the vessels were accidents, though she stopped short of directly blaming Russia.
NATO members have praised Finland for its swift action in seizing the Russian-linked vessel. Prior to this, there had been two other potential sabotage incidents involving Chinese ships in the Baltic. In late 2023, a Chinese container ship, the Newnew Polar Bear, was implicated in severing a gas pipeline between Finland and Estonia, while in November 2024, the Yi Peng 3, a Chinese bulk carrier, was suspected of passing over two data cables in the region around the time they were severed. Despite Chinese investigators boarding the vessel, the Swedish government criticized Beijing for not allowing Swedish authorities to inspect the ship directly.
The most recent incident adds to growing concerns as the Baltic states—Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania—prepare to disconnect their electricity grids from the former Soviet network and integrate into the European power system in early February. This transition is seen as a crucial step for the three countries in solidifying their alignment with the West, having joined both NATO and the European Union following their independence from the Soviet Union. Some fear that such moves could make the region a target for further disruptions.
Kęstutis Budrys, Lithuania’s foreign minister, called for a review of navigation rules in the Baltic Sea, particularly in relation to the use of anchors. He emphasized that the frequency of these incidents made it unlikely they were all accidental.
As authorities investigate, the Latvian state radio and television center has announced that it has found alternative communication routes, and repairs to the damaged data cable are expected to take less time compared to gas or electricity infrastructure.
