VEZHEN

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Cable damage was bad seamanship

Sweden has released the 'Vezhen', after the investigation has shown that this case was not a case of sabotage, according to the public prosecutor. The ship therefore allowed to leave Karlskrona and continue its journey. The cause of the cable damage between Latvia and Sweden is now considered to be a combination of weather conditions and deficiencies in equipment and seamanship, according to senior public prosecutor Mats Ljungqvist. At the same time, however, it was said that they were convinced that the "Vezhen" was responsible for the damage on the night of Jan 26. The affected submarine cable is used by the Latvian State Radio and Television Center (LVRTC), and the damage occurred in Sweden's exclusive economic zone. Latvia sent naval divers to the site of the damage shortly afterwards. As of Feb 3, the 'Vezhen' remained statioary in pos. 56° 04' N 015° 32' E. Reports with photos: https://www.aftonbladet.se/nyheter/a/0Vq3O0/haver-beslag-av-fartyg-inget-sabotage https://www.sverigesradio.se/artikel/aklagaren-haver-beslut-om-beslagtaget-fartyg

Vezhen left anchorage, Coast Guard ended its tasks at the ship

The 'Vezhen' has finally left its anchorage on Feb 3 at around 2 p.m. UTC. The ship, carrying a load of sulfur, will make a stopover in Denmark for repairs and will continue its route to Uruguay and Argentina then. After the prosecutor, leading the preliminary investigation into suspected sabotage of a cable in the Baltic Sea, had lifted the seizure of the bulk carrier, also the Swedish Coast Guard had ended its work on and around the vessel. After having contributed to the preliminary investigation from day one, by assisting the Swedish Security Service, the Coast Guard's vessels and crews that were at the anchorage south of Aspö outside Karlskrona, have returned to regular operations. Since the seizure, the Coast Guard had carried out a number of different investigative measures on board the vessel and in the investigation, working closely with the prosecutor and the Swedish Security Service. Together with the Police Authority and the Armed Forces, they have been able to deliver information and analyses that have been crucial to the investigation. The preliminary investigation continued, and the Coast Guard was assisting based on the prosecutor's directive.

Bulgarian National Security Agency (DANS) has no evidence for sabotage

The Bulgarian National Security Agency (SANS) has no evidence that there were agents of foreign services or criminals among the Bulgarian crew members of the "Vezhen". This was stated by SANS Director Plamen Tonchev at a hearing on the subject in parliament on Jan 30. Tonchev pointed out that there was no indication in the data of Bulgarian partner services that the incident with the damaged underwater fiber optic cable was sabotage. He added that in addition to a cable used by Latvia, a cable from a non-NATO country was also severed in the same area. "Bulgaria is in no way considered by our partners and allies to be an accomplice in sabotage or sabotage activities, which we all condemn and which we act against as partners and allies," said the Foreign Minister Georg Georgiev in parliament. He called for the case of the "Vezhen" not to be politically escalated. The State Agency for National Security was said to be in contact with Bulgaria's partners in NATO and the Swedish and Latvian services looking into the incident. Tonchev explained that there was no negative information about the eight Bulgarian crew members and the ship's management, which is entirely Bulgarian. Swedish port state control officers had inspected the 'Vezhen' but a comprehensive report and conclusions from the inspection were not available yet. The second mate, the third mate, the chief engineer and the boatswain got off the ship on Jan 28 and were questioned by police. In addition, the captain and the chief mate were questioned aboard the ship.