Vilnius - Following a cable failure in the Baltic Sea in early January, investigating authorities searched a vessel in connection with the incident, according to the Latvian Border Guard Police.

According to the Lithuanian National Crisis Management Centre, the affected telecommunications cable connects the spa town of Sventoji in Lithuania with the Latvian port city of Liepaja - two coastal towns above Klaipeda - which are around 65 kilometres apart. The exact cause of the damage is still unknown. There has been no disruption to civilian communication users in Latvia.

The Latvian police emphasised that neither the inspected vessel nor its crew are currently being held. Both were co-operating with the authorities, while investigations into the course of events and possible causes of the incident were continuing. The competent authorities have not yet provided any information on the type of vessel, flag state or cargo.

The current case has received additional attention due to the seizure of the freighter "Fitburg" in Finnish waters a few days earlier on 31 December 2025. marineforum.online reported on 8 January 2026. To the article

It remains unclear in which sea area the most recent damage was detected - whether within national territorial waters, in the exclusive economic zone or in international waters. There is also a lack of reliable information on ship-related details and possible operational connections such as anchoring operations, course manoeuvres or the weather conditions at the time of the incident.

The accumulation of comparable events once again draws attention to the vulnerability of undersea critical infrastructure in heavily trafficked sea areas and to the growing requirements for maritime surveillance and safety precautions in the Baltic Sea region.

kdk, gCaptain