Hunting season is open: second ship with Russians detained in the Baltic Sea

Norwegian authorities have arrested a ship with a Russian crew suspected of damaging an underwater cable in the Baltic Sea. The New York Times reports this with reference to the Norwegian police.

The underwater cable running between Sweden and Latvia was damaged late last week. This incident was the latest episode in a series of similar damages to underwater infrastructure in the Baltic Sea.

Before the detention, the ship was sailing between St. Petersburg and Murmansk. On Thursday evening, the Norwegian coast guard and police surrounded the Russian-operated ship Silver Dania, which is owned and registered in Norway. It was towed to the port of Tromsø on Friday morning, police said. Officers boarded the ship to search for evidence and to question the crew about the damaged cable.

Police say no one has been arrested so far, and no charges have been filed against any of the crew. They also say several other vessels are being investigated that may be involved in the cable damage.

On Monday, Swedish authorities detained another ship in connection with the incident – a bulk carrier owned by a Bulgarian shipping company and flying the flag of Malta.