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.

An undersea fibre optic cable between Latvia and Sweden was damaged due to suspected external influence, prompting investigations and increased NATO presence in the Baltic Sea. Latvian Prime Minister convened an emergency meeting as the incident evoked concerns about potential sabotage in the region.

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.