Anchor Mishap: Cargo Ship Vezhen's Seafaring Blunder Blamed for Damaged Cable

The cargo ship Vezhen accidentally damaged a subsea cable linking Sweden and Latvia last month. The incident, caused by a dropped anchor due to bad weather and equipment deficiencies, was not sabotage, per Swedish prosecutors. Despite initial suspicions, the cable damage was deemed unintentional.

Swedish prosecutors have confirmed that the cargo ship Vezhen accidentally severed a subsea cable connecting Sweden and Latvia last month, ruling out sabotage. The Maltese-flagged vessel, implicated in the mishap on January 26, has since been released.

The incident was attributed to a mix of poor weather, equipment failures, and inadequate seamanship. Senior Prosecutor Mats Ljungqvist explained that the Vezhen's anchor was dropped unintentionally, with two of its locking mechanisms long out of service and the third, manual lock, failing due to waves.

This maritime mishap follows a series of recent disruptions in the Baltic Sea region, prompting NATO to announce plans for enhanced protection of critical infrastructure amid heightened tensions since the Ukraine conflict.

(With inputs from agencies.)