Norwegian authorities have released the Russian-crewed cargo ship Silver Dania, which was initially suspected of damaging an underwater fibre optic cable connecting Latvia and the Swedish island of Gotland. Following an in-depth investigation, police concluded that there was no evidence linking the vessel to the incident.

Investigation Finds No Connection Between Silver Dania and Cable Damage

On Friday evening, the Tromsø police district announced that after thorough investigative steps, they found no proof that the Silver Dania was involved in damaging the underwater infrastructure.

“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,” said Tromsø police attorney Ronny Jorgensen.

The Norwegian Coast Guard stopped the Norwegian-owned, Russian-crewed vessel on Thursday evening, bringing it to Tromsø port for inspection on Friday morning. This action followed a request from Latvian authorities and was approved by a Norwegian court.

Authorities initially suspected the Silver Dania, which was traveling between the Russian ports of St. Petersburg and Murmansk, of being involved in the cable damage discovered in the Baltic Sea last weekend.

Ship’s Owner Denies Any Wrongdoing and Cooperates with Authorities

As part of the investigation, police searched the ship and interviewed the crew, but no evidence was found to support the suspicion. Tormod Fossmark, CEO of SilverSea, the Norwegian company that owns Silver Dania, strongly denied any involvement in the incident.

“We have no involvement in this whatsoever,” Fossmark told The Associated Press. “We did not have any anchors out or do anything, so that will be confirmed today,” he added, referring to the investigation’s findings.

He further emphasized that the ship’s tracking data showed no unusual activity during its journey. Fossmark confirmed that the vessel, which was not carrying any cargo, was cleared to resume its voyage later in the day.

Sweden Continues Probe Into Possible Sabotage in the Baltic Sea

The fibre optic cable linking Ventspils, Latvia, to Gotland, Sweden, was found damaged on Sunday. Swedish prosecutors have since launched a preliminary investigation into potential sabotage.

Another vessel, the Malta-flagged Vezhen, has been detained as part of the inquiry. The Bulgarian owner of Vezhen admitted that the ship may have accidentally caused the cable damage, but denied any sabotage or intentional wrongdoing by the crew.

The investigation into the Baltic Sea cable damage remains ongoing, as authorities continue their efforts to determine the cause of the disruption.