Norwegian authorities have released the Silver Dania, a Russian-crewed ship that was detained for inspection following damage detected on a data transmission cable in the Baltic Sea. The vessel was stopped by the Norwegian coast guard and brought into the port of Tromsø on Friday morning. While the investigation into the incident will continue, authorities have determined that there is no longer a need for the ship to remain in Tromsø.
The cable, which runs from Ventspils, Latvia, to Gotland, Sweden, was reported damaged on Sunday. The Silver Dania was sailing between the Russian ports of St. Petersburg and Murmansk when it was detained. Initial suspicions arose regarding the ship's involvement, but no findings have linked it to the act of damaging the cable.
Ronny Jørgensen, a police attorney in Tromsø, stated, "Tromsø police district has now conducted a number of investigative steps and secured what we see as necessary, considering the request from Latvia. The investigation will continue, but we see no reason for the ship to remain in Tromsø any longer."
The Bulgarian owner of the vessel suggested that another ship, the Malta-flagged Vezhen, may have accidentally caused the cable damage. This vessel has since been ordered to be detained by Swedish prosecutors, who have opened a preliminary investigation into suspected sabotage.
Tormod Fossmark, CEO of the SilverSea company, which operates the Silver Dania, firmly denied any connection to the cable damage. He stated, "We have no involvement in this whatsoever." The company is cooperating fully with authorities as they continue their investigation into the incident.
It is worth noting that the Silver Dania was not carrying any cargo at the time of its detention. The ongoing inquiries will focus on gathering more information regarding the cable damage and any potential links to other vessels in the area.
