A subsea cable connecting Latvia to Sweden’s Gotland island is the latest cable to be damaged in the Baltic Sea.

Owned by Latvia’s State Radio and Television Centre (LVRTC), the cable’s Ventspils–Gotland segment was damaged early on January 26, at depths of 100m.

The Latvian government has suggested in a statement that the cable was damaged due to ‘external factors.’

Whilst the exact nature of the damage has not been determined, the Swedish Coast Guard has detained a vessel named Vezhen suspected of being involved in the break in the Swedish port of Karlskrona.

Two additional vessels have been identified just outside of Latvia’s waters and exclusive economic zone, closeby to the subsea cable.

Timelines for the cable’s repair have not been provided.

At the end of last year, the Estlink 2 subsea cable between Finland and Estonia was cut. Around the same time, three Internet cables connecting the two nations were cut, and a fourth fiber optic cable between Finland and Germany was also cut.

At the time, Russia was believed to be behind the cable cuts. Finnish Authorities even seized the Eagle S ship, carrying Russian oil, in late December under suspicion of being behind the cable cuts.

Shortly before that, in November, international investigators suspected a Chinese ship’s crew deliberately dragged an anchor to sever two subsea cables in the Baltic Sea.

However, earlier this month several US and European intelligence officials suggested that the cable damages were likely the result of maritime accidents, not Russian sabotage.

Nevertheless, the situation in the Baltic Sea prompted a response from NATO, which launched a new military program to strengthen subsea infrastructure in the region earlier this month.

Germany also partnered with Israeli defense firm Elta to deploy an underwater stealth drone - dubbed Blue Whale - to patrol the Baltic Sea in light of recent events.