The Bulgarian citizens from the crew of the ship "Vezhen" detained in Sweden were visited today by the head of the consular service at the Bulgarian Embassy in the Kingdom of Sweden, Stefan Stoykov, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced.
The consul held a three-hour meeting with the eight Bulgarian sailors, during which it was established that they are in good health and in good spirits and condition. They do not need additional supplies of food or medication, as they have provisions and access to water. The sailors are free to move around the ship.
During the investigation, the Bulgarian ship's officers gave statements to the Swedish investigative authorities, and were provided with translation. They confirmed that their civil rights were respected by the local authorities.
The sailors expressed their gratitude to the Bulgarian state, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Bulgarian Embassy in Stockholm and the consul for the constant contact and support provided.
The Embassy of the Republic of Bulgaria in Sweden remains fully prepared to continue to assist the Bulgarian sailors in the course of the investigation.
We recall that on January 31, Swedish prosecutor Mats Ljungqvist, who is leading the investigation into the sabotage in the Baltic Sea, stated that the investigators now have a clearer idea of what happened and have come to the conclusion that the ship "Vezhen" caused the damage to the submarine cable.
The investigation initially looked at another ship detained in Norway, but according to the prosecutor, it has now been ruled out as a possible culprit for various reasons that have not been publicly disclosed.
Sweden and Latvia launched an investigation on Sunday into alleged sabotage of a cable connecting the two countries, and Swedish police later seized and boarded the Maltese-flagged Bulgarian ship "Vezhen", suspected of causing the damage.
The shipowner, the Bulgarian Navy, categorically denied the version of intentional damage to the cable, but did not rule out that the ship's anchor may have severed the cable due to bad weather, as its retaining mechanism was damaged during a storm.