Police say a Norwegian-owned and Russian-crewed ship that authorities suspect may have been involved in damage to an underwater fiber optic cable connecting Latvia and the Swedish island of Gotland has been stopped off Norway.

Nato countries have stepped up patrols to protect critical underwater infrastructure in the Baltic Sea, which is bordered by eight countries, and other waters. A Royal Navy submarine was ordered to surface last November close to a suspected Russian spy ship which was loitering over undersea infrastructure in UK waters.

After a series of suspected undersea cable cuttings, NATO has launched a new surveillance and deterrence mission to protect critical infrastructure under the Baltic Sea.

Norwegian police announced today that a Norwegian-flagged vessel has been detained in Tromso under suspicion of being involved in Baltic cable sabotage. Latvian authorities asked the Tromso police to detain the 5,353 dwt Silver Dania (built 1989), which was sailing between St Petersburg and Murmansk.

Sweden is investigating damage to a data cable linked to Latvia, the latest breach in the Baltic Sea region where European authorities are on high alert.

Sweden has opened a preliminary investigation into suspected aggravated “sabotage” and ordered the detention of a vessel in the Baltic Sea suspected of damaging an underwater fiber optic cable connecting Latvia and the Swedish island of Gotland earlier that day.

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.

A suspicious ship with a Russian crew has been detained in Norway after the latest incidence of cable damage in the Baltic Sea. The Silver Dania is suspected of being involved in damaging a fibre optic cable between Latvia and Sweden,