The start of repairs of the recently damaged cable should become known in the next two work days, said Board Chairman of Latvian State Radio and Television Centre (LVTRC) Ģirts Ozols in an interview to LTV programme Rīta panorāma.
He said the monitoring system registered data transmission disruptions early in the morning on Sunday, the 26th of January. An inspection revealed damage on the cable in the Baltic Sea approximately 130 km away from the Latvian coast in Sweden’s economic waters. The cable in that area is submerged at more than 50 m depth.
When asked if it is 100% clear the cable is significantly damaged and whether the cause of damage is external, Ozols said he will be able to say with 100% confidence once specialists will have fully inspected the cable and after it has been raised from the water.
“The priority now is working with partners that ensure this service in the Baltic Sea, so that it is possible to renovate relevant infrastructure and restore services as soon as possible,” said Ozols, adding that cooperation partners in question are Scandinavian companies that specialise in this sector.
The Chairman of LVTRC allowed that the date when cooperation partners could start repairs of the cable should come in approximately two work days.
According to Ozols, usually it takes several days or weeks if the case is complex. The costs depend on the situation.
“We’ve lost one of three paths,” said Ozols, adding that a lot of work has been put into making sure the “Baltic Isles” effect does not appear. Several optical paths have been created for this purpose.
In the early morning of Sunday, the 26th of January, LVRTC underwater fiber optic cable in the Baltic Sea connecting Ventspils and Gotland was damaged.
Latvian State Police have commenced criminal procedures over this incident, as LETA was told by Chief of State Police Armands Ruks.
The investigation involves cooperation with international partners.
Swedish authorities arrested the ship suspected of damaging the optic cable in the Baltic Sea.
The Swedish Prosecutor’s Office also said an investigation had been launched into “aggravated sabotage” after the submarine cable connecting Sweden and Latvia was damaged. The initial investigation is led by the Swedish Security Service. Several authorities are involved in the investigation, including the Swedish police, the coast guard and the Swedish Armed Forces.
Swedish media, on the other hand, reported that the ship “Vezhen” was arrested. According to the website “Marine Traffic”, which tracks shipping traffic, the bulk carrier “Vezhen” sails under the Maltese flag and was on its way from Sweden to Denmark. “Vezhen” sailed across the cable around 1 p.m on Sunday, the 26th of January.
The President of Latvia, Edgars Rinkēvičs, stressed to LETA that he expects the result of the investigation into cable damage as soon as possible. He also expects close coordination with allies. He confirmed that this topic has been discussed by NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte.
Recently there have been multiple incidents In the Baltic Sea, when critical underwater infrastructure may have been damaged as a result of Russian sabotage. NATO announced in January that the alliance will be organising a new mission to protect infrastructure in the Baltic Sea.