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The Swedish intelligence service has seized the 'Vezhen', en route from the Russian port of Ust-Luga towards Denmark, which is suspected of being behind a sabotage against an undersea fiber optic cable between Latvia and Sweden in the Baltic Sea, which occurred on Jan 26, 2025, and in which at least one underwater data cable between the island of Gotland and Latvia was damaged. The ship had crossed the cable at at 12.45 a.m. The Latvian radio and television company LVRTC, which owns the cable, described the damage as serious. The Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson stated that he had been in close contact with the Latvian Prime Minister during the course of the day. The Swedish prosecutor's office said that a number of investigative steps were now being taken, which they would not specify in more detail for the sake of the investigation. The Swedish Coast Guard, the Swedish Defence Force and the police were among those working on the suspected espionage. The ship changed course on Jan 26 and sailed towards Karlskrona, where it moored off Hasslö and Aspö in the Karlskrona archipelago in pos. 56° 04' N 015° 31' E with a ship from the Swedish Coast Guard nearby. Late on the evening, the Coast Guard boarded the ship. The Latvian cable operator stated on Jabn 26 that the damage to the cable was probably due to "external influence". The 'Vezhen' is operated by the Bulgarian company Navigation Maritime Bulgare. Reports with video: https://www.tagesschau.de/ausland/europa/unterseekabel-lettland-schweden-102.html https://www.tv4.se/artikel/4EMMULmnbDrkDACHRx7gNT/tv4-pa-plats-vid-fartyget-ser-att-det-har-skador-pa-ankaret https://www.svt.se/nyheter/inrikes/har-tvarvander-kustbevakningen-i-jakt-pa-det-misstankta-fartyget

The crew of the 'Salvamar Adhara' has accompanied a cayuco with 67 sub-Saharan people on board, among them two minors, on the morning of Jan 27. The boat had been located about eight nautical miles southeast of La Restinga (El Hierro). The response was coordinated by the CCS Tenerife of Salvamento Marítimo. At 9:20 a.m. LT the migrants had safely disembarked in the port. Report with photo: https://x.com/salvamentogob/status/1883821606180716824

On Jan 12, the 'Glyvursnes' left the port of Hirtshals and headed to Frederikshavn, where it berthed at the Orskov Yard for permanent repairs of the extensive fire damage suffered on the evening of Jan 2. The authorities' investigations will also still take a long time. In the violent fire, which had broken out in the ship's engine room, a 34-year-old crew member had died. The Smyril Line chartered the roro ferry 'Mykines' (IMO: 9121998) as a replacement ship.

The Spanish flagged 15-m-fishing vessel “Daniela Y Sara-3AM-1-4-05”, 7,6 gt (CS: EA8499), with five crew members on board, requested towing assistance following a power loss about 6.9 nautical miles south of Punta Genoveses on Jan 27, 2025. The CCS Almería of Salvamento Marítimo mobilized the 'Salvamar Spica', which took the ship in tow and safely pulled it to Carboneras due to the poor state of the sea. Video: https://x.com/i/status/1883940367172788328

After the veteran ship 'R142 Ystad' came close to a serious collision with the 'Silverpilen' on Sep 7, 2024, both a commander and a mate are being charged with gross negligence in maritime traffic. The former robot boat had passed a few meters astern of the 'Silverpilen' at a speed of 35 knots and in dense fog at Gålö in the Stockholm archipelago. The ferry was on its way with passengers from Utö to the Årsta jetty. According to the prosecutor, the passengers on the ferry were seconds away from possibly losing their lives. "If the ship had collided with the 'Silverpilen', there would have been fatalities, I am absolutely convinced of that", prosecutor Anton Tunving stated on Jan 27, 2025. According to the description of the incident, the robot boat was sailing south between Äggskären and Vitsgarn, when the 'Silverpilen' appeared on the radar. The commander and the first officer mistakenly believed that the ship was heading in the same direction as the 'R142 Ystad'. They began a port turn astern of the 'Silverpilen', when the ferry suddenly appeared onthe port side as an oncoming ship. The robot boat completed its planned turn and was only between five and ten meters from the 'Silverpilen' when they met. According to the investigation, there were around 40 passengers on the deck of the veteran ship and around 25 passengers on board the 'Silverpilen'. The prosecutor believes that those responsible on the 'R142 Ystad' did not have sufficient supervision and did not keep the speed down sufficiently, which is the basis for the indictment. However, both defendants denied a crime. The robot boat is owned by the State Maritime and Transport History Museums, but the Swedish Robot Boats Association uses the ship in its operations. The ship is almost 44 meters long and has a displacement of 240 tons with full equipment and a crew of 30 people. The Swedish Accident Investigation Board is working on an investigation into the incident. Report with photo: https://www.sjofartstidningen.se/tva-atalas-efter-kollisionstillbud/