Norwegian police seized a Russian-crewed ship on suspicion of being involved in causing “serious damage” to a fiber cable in the Baltic Sea between Latvia and Sweden.

Authorities in northern Norway released a vessel that was suspected of the latest data cable breach in the Baltic Sea, saying no evidence had been found linking it to the incident.

Swedish authorities have seized a ship suspected of damaging a data cable running under the Baltic Sea to Latvia. The Vezhen - a Maltese-flagged ship - is now anchored outside the Swedish port of Karlskrona.

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.

Latvia said it had dispatched a warship on Sunday after damage to a fibre optic cable to Sweden that may have been "due to external factors". The statement added: "Based on current findings, it is presumed that the cable is significantly damaged due to external factors.

Norwegian police have arrested a ship suspected of damaging a telecoms cable between Latvia and Sweden last weekend, according to the Norwegian public broadcaster NRK.

The Nordic country has opened an investigation into the damage, just weeks after NATO stepped up its military presence in the area following a series of similar incidents.

Following damage to a fiber optic cable between Latvia and Sweden, Norwegian authorities have searched a freighter. The shipping company is cooperating.

A subsea data cable between Latvia and Sweden was damaged early Sunday, sparking a criminal investigation, a third such incident in the Baltic Sea in the past three months.