Sweden is investigating a possible break in an underwater cable in the Baltic Sea, near the country's southwest coast, the coast guard said, quoted by Reuters. The agency notes that this is the same area where several cables on the seabed have been found to be damaged in recent months.
The Baltic Sea region is on alert and NATO has increased its presence after several cases of damage to power cables, telecommunications lines and gas pipelines occurred after Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Most of them were caused by anchors that civilian ships had dragged along the seabed.
"We received information about a possible cable break and the prosecutor's office decided to open a preliminary investigation," a coast guard spokesman told Reuters.
A coast guard ship was sent to the scene, the spokesman added.
Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson said the government had been informed and that the damage to the underwater infrastructure was particularly worrying in the current security situation.
It is not yet clear what type of cable was involved or when the possible damage occurred.
The coast guard declined to give further details.