On January 31, 2025, Tromsø police intercepted a vessel off the northern coast of Norway in connection with damage to underwater infrastructure in the Baltic Sea. The operation was initiated following a court request from Latvian authorities after a seabed fiber optic cable was ruptured between Latvia and Sweden.
The vessel, identified as the Norwegian-registered and owned ship Silver Dania, was en route from St. Petersburg to Murmansk with a crew composed entirely of Russian nationals. Norwegian authorities reported that the ship was brought into port at Tromsø early on Friday morning with assistance from a coastguard tugboat.
Authorities conducted a search of the ship, interviewing the crew and securing evidence. Tormod Fossmark, CEO of SilverSea, the company that owns the Silver Dania, denied any involvement in the incident, asserting that the ship did not cause the damage and expressing hope for its prompt departure.
Simultaneously, investigations are ongoing by Swedish and Latvian authorities regarding the suspected sabotage, with Swedish police also boarding the Maltese-flagged cargo ship Vezhen, which is under suspicion for causing similar damage. Norwegian police confirmed that both seizures are related to the same incident.
The damaged cable, which runs from Ventspils in Latvia to Gotland in Sweden, was reportedly utilized by Latvian state media and was damaged early on Sunday. Latvia has asserted that the damage likely resulted from 'external influence' and has deployed a warship in response.
Previous incidents of underwater cable damage in the Baltic Sea have been linked to Russia's shadow fleet, comprising aging tankers with unclear ownership. In light of these events, NATO initiated a new mission named 'Baltic Sentry' earlier this month, aimed at enhancing surveillance and deterrence to protect undersea infrastructure.