Undersea Cable Mystery in the Baltic Sea

Something fishy is happening in the Baltic Sea! A vital undersea cable between Latvia and Sweden was hurt this past Sunday. Latvia believes it might have been damaged by some outside force. This cable links the Latvian town of Ventspils to Sweden's Gotland island. It's a critical communications line, and its sudden breakdown has sparked investigations by local and NATO maritime forces. Latvia's prime minister, Evika Silina, announced that the damage is significant and likely caused by something external. The investigation, involving multiple countries and NATO, is focused on a few ships that passed near the cable around the time of the incident. One of these ships is the Malta-flagged Vezhen, which was tracked closely by a Swedish coast guard vessel. NATO and Sweden are working closely together to find out what happened. Sweden's prime minister, Ulf Kristersson, said they'll contribute to the investigation. There have been similar incidents in the past, like when a Russian oil tanker damaged cables between Finland and Estonia. These incidents underscore the need to safeguard undersea infrastructure in the Baltic Sea. The cable, managed by Latvian State Radio and Television Centre (LVRTC), is over 50 meters deep. Repairs are planned, but the exact damage won't be known until then. Unlike gas pipelines, fiber optic cables like this one can usually be fixed within weeks. Navigating the Baltic Sea can be tricky. At any given time, there are thousands of commercial vessels cruising through. To protect critical infrastructure, NATO has launched "Baltic Sentry" with frigates, patrol aircraft, and naval drones. It's all part of their effort to keep things running smoothly and securely in the region.