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Norwegian authorities have released the Russian-crewed cargo ship Silver Dania, which was initially suspected of causing damage to an underwater fibre optic cable connecting Latvia and the Swedish island of Gotland. After a detailed investigation, police determined that there was no evidence linking the vessel to the incident.

Investigation Finds No Evidence Against Silver Dania

On Friday evening, the Tromsø police district announced that after conducting a series of investigative measures, they had found no proof that the Silver Dania was involved in the underwater infrastructure attacks.

“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,” stated Tromsø police attorney Ronny Jorgensen.

The Norwegian Coast Guard stopped the Norwegian-owned, Russian-crewed vessel on Thursday evening, bringing it into Tromsø port for inspection on Friday morning. This action followed a request from Latvian authorities and was authorized 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 severe cable damage discovered in the Baltic Sea last weekend.

Ship’s Owner Insists on Innocence, Cooperation with Authorities

During the investigation, police conducted searches and interviewed the crew, but no findings were disclosed. Tormod Fossmark, CEO of SilverSea, the Norwegian company that owns Silver Dania, strongly denied any wrongdoing.

“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 said, referring to the investigation’s results.

Fossmark also emphasized that the ship’s tracking data showed no irregularities during its voyage. He further confirmed that the vessel, which was not carrying any cargo, would be allowed to continue its journey later in the day.

Swedish Authorities Continue Probe Into Suspected Sabotage

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

As part of the probe, another vessel, the Malta-flagged Vezhen, has been detained. The Bulgarian owner of Vezhen acknowledged that the ship may have unintentionally damaged the cable but dismissed any claims of sabotage or intentional misconduct by the crew.

The investigation into the Baltic Sea cable damage remains ongoing as authorities work to determine the cause of the disruption.