Norwegian authorities have released the Russian-crewed ship Silver Dania, which was suspected of damaging a fibre optic cable connecting Latvia and the Swedish island of Gotland. The decision came after police investigations found no evidence linking the vessel to the alleged cable damage, which was detected last weekend in the Baltic Sea.
- Norway released Russian-crewed ship Silver Dania.
- No evidence linked ship to cable damage.
- Investigation into cable damage will continue.
- Ship was detained at request from Latvia.
- CEO denies involvement in cable incident.
- Swedish prosecutors opened investigation into sabotage.
The Silver Dania was detained on Thursday evening and brought to Tromsø, Norway, for inspection following a request from Latvian authorities. Norwegian police stated that they had conducted several investigative steps but found no reason to keep the ship detained. The police attorney, Ronny Jorgensen, confirmed that the investigation would continue, but the ship was free to leave.
During the inspection, authorities conducted interviews and searched the vessel, which was en route between St. Petersburg and Murmansk. Tormod Fossmark, the CEO of the ship’s owning company, SilverSea, denied any involvement in the cable damage, asserting that the ship’s tracking data showed no irregularities during its journey. He emphasized that the ship was not carrying cargo at the time of its detention.
Damage to the fibre optic cable, which runs from Ventspils, Latvia, to Gotland, was detected on Sunday. In response, Swedish prosecutors opened a preliminary investigation into suspected sabotage and detained another vessel, the Malta-flagged Vezhen. The owner of the Vezhen suggested that while the ship might have accidentally caused a cable break, there was no evidence of sabotage or wrongdoing by the crew.
In summary, the Silver Dania has been released after investigations found no evidence linking it to the damage of the fibre optic cable. The situation remains under investigation, with authorities examining other potential vessels involved in the incident.
