Baltic Sea. Credit: Shutterstock, hyotographics

The undersea fibre optic cable connecting Latvia and Sweden has been fully restored after being damaged in January.

According to reports, engineers and a specialised repair vessel completed the reconnection on Friday, February 28.

Latvian State Radio and Television Center (LVRTC) stated that “the functionality of the cable, equipment and connections in Ventspils and Gotland have been tested, and the service to LVRTC customers has now been completely restored” (cited by Baltic News Network (BNN)). Final work is still ongoing, as the cable needs to be lowered to the seabed, but favourable weather conditions are expected to allow completion soon.

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Latvia-Sweden undersea cable was accidentally damaged, not sabotaged

The cable was damaged on January 26, 2025, in Swedish economic waters, 130 km from the coast of Latvia. Swedish authorities initially seized a vessel as part of the investigation – a Vezhen dry cargo ship flying the Maltese flag, according to BNN.

Although there were initial concerns about sabotage, Swedish prosecutor Mats Ljungqvist later clarified: “The damage to the cables was caused by a combination of adverse conditions – weather conditions, deficiencies in the equipment and lack of shipping knowledge,” as reported by BNN. The Swedish prosecutor’s office ruled out deliberate sabotage, acknowledging the ship had caused the damage but determining it was accidental, according to a report by LSM+.

Latvian authorities continue investigation into undersea cable

Despite Sweden’s findings, Latvia’s State Police have launched a criminal investigation under three articles of the Criminal Law, including damage to property. LVRTC announced: “Irrespective of the prosecution’s conclusions on the reasons for the damage to the cable, the LVRTC property has been damaged, so the company will begin the process of recovering damages for the broken cable of the vessel ‘Vezhen’”, cited by BNN.

The total financial loss is yet to be determined, as it will include “the purchase of materials necessary for cable repair, the cost of the repair vessel and maintenance, as well as other LVRTC expenses for cable damage prevention”.

View all news in Sweden.