Norway grabs a Russian purpose ship suspected of cutting a underwater cable

Authorities in Norway have seized a Russian Crande ship suspected of having harmed a submarine cable in a sabotage act in the Baltic Sea, Norwegian police announced on Friday.

They acted at a request from the Latvian authorities and on an order made before the Norwegian courts, police announced in a statement, after a underwater cable which takes place between Sweden and Latvia was damaged this week.

This is the last of an increasing number of damage or sabotage to the submarine infrastructure in the Baltic Sea, including the cables used for communication and for the distribution of electricity. In response to such a case in December, NATO intensified its patrol and surveillance operation in the Baltic Sea.

The concerns about such damage has increased since a series of underwater explosions has exploded natural gas gas pipelines connecting Russia to Western Europe in 2022.

On Thursday evening, the Norway Coast Guard and the police surrounded the Russian ship – Dania Silver, a ship detained and recorded in Norway – and towed it in the port of Tromso on Friday morning, police announced.

The ship, a 36-year-old loading ship, according to shipping data, sailed between the Russian ports of Saint Petersburg and Murmansk. Police said the police had embarked on the ship to seek evidence and question the crew about the damaged cable.