Cause still unclear

First video recordings of cable damage in the Baltic Sea

A Swedish Coast Guard vessel (right) stands guard next to the cargo ship Vezhen, which is anchored in the Baltic Sea off Karlskrona, Sweden.

(Bild: AP/TT News Agency/Johan Nilsson)

Following damage to an undersea cable in the Baltic Sea, Latvia has made initial progress in the search for the cause. During investigations at the site of the damage, the Latvian navy, in cooperation with Swedish partners, obtained the first video recordings from the seabed, said Prime Minister Evika Silina in Riga.

According to this, it is very likely that the damaged area of the cable has been located. However, visibility at a depth of around 100 meters was very poor, Silina said. Specialists and investigators would therefore continue to analyze the information received.

Cause of the damage still unclear
A submarine cable between Sweden and Latvia, which is used by the Latvian State Radio and Television Center (LVRTC), was damaged at the weekend. The damage occurred in Sweden's so-called exclusive economic zone.

The cause is still unclear. The authorities in Stockholm are investigating possible serious sabotage and have detained a suspicious vessel. Naval divers and experts from the LVRTC from Latvia have made their way to the scene of the damage, which is located around 130 kilometers off the Latvian coast.

According to naval chief Maris Polencs, a torpedo-like device with acoustic sensors will be lowered to the seabed for the investigation. This could then be used to determine the location of the cable and also film it. "This is a time-consuming and rather complicated process. We have to wait for the results before we can say whether the cable is damaged in one way or another," said Polencs.

Silina also spoke of progress in questioning the crews of several ships that may have damaged the cable. She also announced that requests for legal assistance had been sent to several countries. The Latvian head of government did not provide any further details.