Latvia names preliminary cause of cable damage in the Baltic Sea

Latvian Prime Minister Evika Silinja said that the submarine cable between Latvia and Sweden, which is owned by the Latvian State Radio and Television Center (LVRTC) company, was probably damaged by an external impact. She told a press conference in Riga on January 26.

"We have also determined that it was most likely damaged externally and the damage is quite significant. The Navy was also involved and was monitoring the potential area. Similarly, the LVRTC, based on its own data, found that such external damage was possible," The Washington Post (WP) quoted Silini as saying.

She said authorities are engaging other Baltic Sea countries to address the problem because the damage was found in Sweden's economic zone. Silinja said she is in contact with the Swedish prime minister as well as the prime ministers of other Baltic states.

"Obviously, we are working closely with Sweden bilaterally as well as with NATO, and we have also asked to involve the Swedish Coast Guard in the investigation. Sweden has also promised to provide any assistance we need," Silinja said.

She emphasized that Latvia is in contact with NATO and the Baltic Sea countries. Silinja said that there should be joint cooperation on the case, as, in her opinion, there should be an investigation at the criminal procedure level.

In addition, the Latvian prime minister said that the LVRTC had sent all the data and circumstances of the incident to the State Police. The agency has opened a criminal case and is currently conducting the necessary actions with international partners in the Baltic Sea region.

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How NATO countries can exploit incidents involving damaged undersea fiber optic communication lines

Earlier in the day, a submarine fiber-optic cable between Latvia and Sweden was damaged in the Baltic Sea. It is noted that the company's monitoring systems recorded interruptions in data transmission on the section between Latvia's Ventspils and Sweden's Gotland.

Before that, on December 25, 2024, there was an emergency outage of the EstLink 2 DC cable between Estonia and Finland. The Estonian electricity and gas grid operator Elering said that the cause of the incident was unknown, but the reliability of the country's power supply was ensured, and reserve capacities were used to compensate for the lack of electricity.