Ship Under Investigation For Suspected Sabotage In Baltic Sea Has A Broken Anchor

Bulk Carrier — Image for representation purposes only

A ship named Vezhen, operated by the Bulgarian shipping company Navigation Maritime Bulgare (Navibulgar), is under investigation by Swedish authorities for cutting a subsea cable in the Baltic Sea.

The cable, connecting Latvia to Sweden’s Gotland Island was found damaged on January 26, 2025, shortly after the Vezhen passed through the area.

This is the fourth time in a while over a year that a ship calling in Russia has been accused of dragging an anchor under power and damaging a subsea cable in the Baltic Sea. In each of these cases, the ship in question has a visibly damaged port anchor.

The Vezhen was seized by Sweden on Sunday after the cable outage was discovered. As soon as it was identified, the Swedish coast guard intercepted the ship. The crew of the Vezhen chose to divert out of international waters and into Swedish territorial seas, where the ship was detained.

UPDATE – Latvia-Gotland cable break: The anchor of the seized Vezhen ship appears to be damaged
Photo: Johan Nilsson/TThttps://t.co/hrM6JWIw2T pic.twitter.com/MwFqALfNnl

— Nordic News (@Nordic_News) January 27, 2025

When a senior Swedish prosecutor was asked whether the crew changed course voluntarily, they declined to answer.

The Vezhen is flagged in Malta, and its operator Navibulgar, is based in Bulgaria. The ultimate beneficial owner of the ship is ICBC Leasing, a Chinese state-owned financier, as per corporate records examined by the Finnish news outlet Helsingin Sanomat.

Alexander Kalchev, CEO of Navibulgar, said that the anchor came loose in heavy weather, which caused it to drag. He added this was an accident and the anchor “probably went out on its own.”

He also denied that the ship is part of the so-called “Russian shadow fleet” and added that Navibulgar is largely owned by the Bulgarian state, which is a NATO member.

However, Finnish newspaper Helsingin Sanomat reported that while the Vezhen is operated by a Bulgarian shipping company, it is ultimately owned by China.

A Bulgarian shipping company denies its vessel sabotaged a Baltic Sea cable https://t.co/kq2gA2RQZs

— Nordic News (@Nordic_News) January 27, 2025

Kalchev stated that the company is focused on ensuring the safety of the crew and is cooperating with the investigation.

In a statement, Navibulgar denied any intentional actions by the crew that could have led to the incident. They attributed the damage to the subsea cable to “unfavourable hydrometeorological conditions in the area,” which they described as a force majeure situation.

The vessel left the Russian port of Ust-Luga on Friday and anchored outside Karlskrona, Sweden, on Sunday.

The Swedish Coast Guard has stationed a vessel next to it and is investigating the incident. Government personnel have boarded the ship to carry out investigative measures.

Gabriel Wermstedt, a spokesperson for Sweden’s security service Sapo, confirmed that the ship is under investigation for suspected serious sabotage.

Reference: The Conversation

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