Swedish prosecutors have decided to release a vessel belonging to a Bulgarian shipping company after ruling out initial suspicions that sabotage caused damage to an undersea fiber-optic cable between Sweden and Latvia.

A Maltese-flagged freighter detained by Swedish authorities following damage to a data cable in the Baltic Sea has been released after suspicions of sabotage were not confirmed, state prosecutors said on Monday.

A Bulgarian ship has been released after Swedish authorities cleared it of deliberately sabotaging an underwater cable in the Baltic Sea. NATO has moved to protect Baltic Sea cables amid concerns of Russian tampering.

Swedish prosecutors on Monday ruled out sabotage in the case of a damaged undersea cable and said they were releasing a Bulgarian ship seized in connection with the incident, determining the damage was accidental.

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.

Authorities in northern Norway released a vessel that was suspected of the latest data cable breach in the Baltic Sea, saying no evidence had been found linking it to the incident.

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.

Swedish authorities have seized a ship over the “aggravated sabotage” of an undersea fibre-optic cable linking Latvia with a strategically important island in Sweden.

The crew of the vessel Vezhen did not commit sabotage in the Baltic Sea. According to the Swedish prosecutor's office, the cable break between Sweden and Latvia was caused by adverse weather conditions,