Navigation Maritime Bulgare (Navibulgar) is conducting its own investigation into the case involving the Vezhen ship, announced Navibulgar CEO Captain Alexander Kalchev. He presented photos from the ship, which, according to him, prove that the vessel accidentally dropped its anchor which is not the result of malicious action, and that the incident is due to the 3 meter waves that flooded the deck of the vessel.

The Bulgarian bulk carrier Vezhen, sailing under the Maltese flag, was seized off the coast of Sweden on suspicion of sabotage in the Baltic Sea. The vessel is suspected of damaging an underwater optical cable connecting Latvia and the Swedish island of Gotland with its anchor.

In an interview with BNR, Deputy Assistant Secretary General for Innovation, Hybrid and Cyber James Appathurai stated that NATO is closely monitoring the situation in the Baltic Sea. James Appathurai declined to comment on whether this is the first time a ship from a NATO member country has been involved in such an incident but pointed out that serious damage to critical infrastructure occurs at least once every month.

• Bulgarian Embassy in Stockholm in contact with Swedish authorities over the Vezhen ship situation

• Sweden seizes Bulgarian ship sailing under Maltese flag