In just three months, three incidents of damage to Baltic Sea underwater cables have taken place. While accidential cable slices are common, the cluster raises suspicion.

Sweden has said a recent cable break in the Baltic Sea was not sabotage and has lifted restrictions on the Bulgarian bulk vessel. Swedish authorities boarded and detained the Malta-flagged 32,200-dwt bulk carrier Vezhen (built 2022) after Latvia reported a break in a communications cable connecting it to Sweden on 26 January.