Norway Releases Russian-Crewed Ship Linked to Baltic Sea Cable Damage Investigation
A Norwegian-owned, Russian-crewed vessel, initially suspected of damaging an underwater fiber optic cable in the Baltic Sea, has been released after authorities found no evidence to support the claim. The ship, named Silver Dania, was detained by Norwegian police on Friday for investigation.
The Investigation and Release
Late Friday, Tromsø police confirmed that their investigation had not found any connection between Silver Dania and the cable damage. Ronny Jørgensen, a Tromsø police attorney, explained that no findings had been made to suggest the ship was involved. “Tromsø police district has now conducted a number of investigative steps and secured what we see as necessary, considering the request from Latvia,” Jørgensen said. While the investigation continues, he emphasized that there was no reason to keep the vessel in Tromsø any longer.
Silver Dania was stopped Thursday evening while traveling between Russian ports, St. Petersburg and Murmansk. It was brought into Tromsø’s port the following morning by a Norwegian Coast Guard vessel, following a request from Latvian authorities and a ruling by a Norwegian court. Initially, there had been suspicion that the ship might have been involved in damage discovered last weekend to a Baltic Sea cable connecting Latvia’s Ventspils to Sweden’s Gotland island.
Authorities did not provide further details but indicated that they were searching the ship and conducting interviews.
Ship’s Owner Denies Involvement
Tormod Fossmark, CEO of SilverSea, the company that owns Silver Dania, strongly denied that the ship had caused any damage to the cable. “We have no involvement in this whatsoever,” Fossmark said in an interview with The Associated Press. He emphasized that the ship did not deploy any anchors nor perform any actions that could have caused harm to the cable. Fossmark further stated that tracking data for the ship showed no irregularities in its journey.
He expressed hope that the ship, which was not carrying cargo, would be cleared to continue its voyage later that day.
Background on the Baltic Sea Cable Damage
The damaged cable running from Ventspils, Latvia, to Gotland was discovered on Sunday. Swedish prosecutors quickly opened a preliminary investigation into the incident, suspecting sabotage. They also ordered the detention of another vessel, the Vezhen, a Malta-flagged ship suspected of being involved in the damage.
The Vezhen’s Bulgarian owner acknowledged the possibility that the ship may have accidentally caused the damage but ruled out sabotage or any intentional wrongdoing by the crew.
As investigations continue, both vessels and their involvement in the damage to the Baltic Sea cable remain under scrutiny.
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