Norwegian authorities on Friday said they seized a commercial ship with an all-Russian crew suspected of damaging an undersea telecom cable in the Baltic Sea.

After receiving a request from Latvia, police ordered the Silver Dania to dock in Tromso, a city in northern Norway above the Arctic Circle. Norway’s Coast Guard assisted in the maritime operation, authorities said.

“The crew and shipping company are cooperating with the Norwegian authorities and joined voluntarily,” police said.

The Norwegian-owned and operated Silver Dania is a refrigerated cargo ship that transports perishable goods. Police said it normally sails between the Russian ports of St. Petersburg in the Baltic Sea and Murmansk. 

“The ship is suspected of having been involved in serious damage to a fiber optic cable in the Baltic Sea between Latvia and Sweden,” Norwegian authorities said. “Police are now on board the ship to search, conduct interviews and secure evidence.”

The incident happened days after officials in Sweden accused a Bulgarian-owned shipping company of intentionally damaging a subsea cable between Latvia and the Swedish island of Gotland with one of its cargo vessels, the Vezhen. 

The rise in incidents involving damages to undersea communication cables in the region has prompted NATO to launch Baltic Sentry, an operation designed to protect them by using allied warships, maritime patrol aircraft and drones.

“By working together with all allies, we will do what it takes to ensure the safety and security not only of our critical infrastructure but of all that we hold dear,” NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte said Jan. 14 during a summit of Baltic Sea states.

• Mike Glenn can be reached at mglenn@washingtontimes.com.