Sputnik quoted Deputy Speaker of the Federation Council (Russian Upper House) Konstantin Kosachev as saying that Russia has no geopolitical or military interests in carrying out sabotage in the Baltic Sea, but NATO may be interested in sabotage to build up its forces near Russia's maritime borders.
Norwegian police announced on January 31 that they had detained a Norwegian ship and its Russian crew on suspicion of being involved in cutting a cable in the Baltic Sea between Latvia and Sweden.
“Russia has no geopolitical, let alone military, interest in carrying out acts of sabotage in the Baltic. This does not bring us any advantages. But if we imagine that NATO members themselves are carrying out suicide bombings and blaming Russia, then we can immediately see the interests behind such actions,” Kosachev stressed.
The Deputy Chairman of the Russian Federation Council believes that “NATO’s maritime sabotage aims at a specific goal – to justify the strengthening of its military presence near Russia’s maritime borders.” He noted: “The global significance is to turn the Baltic Sea into NATO’s internal waters.”
In the latest development in the cable break, TASS reported that Norway has released the Russian crew on the Silver Dania - Troms county police informed the Russian Embassy in Oslo.
"To the Embassy's request about the detention of the Silver Dania ship with its Russian crew in the Norwegian economic zone, a representative of the Troms County Police replied that Russian citizens were not detained. The police informed the ship's crew that they can contact the Embassy in Oslo and the Consulate General in Kirkenes. No appeals have been received so far. The Embassy is closely monitoring the situation," a representative of the Embassy told TASS.
The Norwegian-flagged Silver Dania, manned by a crew of 11 Russians, was detained in the Norwegian economic zone at the request of Latvia. The crew is suspected of damaging a Baltic Sea submarine cable between Latvia and Sweden.
In another development, commenting on the decision of NATO member states to conduct patrols in the Baltic Sea with warships and aircraft, Russian Ambassador to Denmark Vladimir Barbin told TASS that NATO is trying to turn the Baltic Sea into the alliance's internal waters but Russia will do everything to protect its interests.
"This is an attempt to turn the Baltic Sea into NATO's internal waters, restrict freedom of navigation and impose Western sanctions on Russia under NATO's strict control. Russia will do everything necessary to protect its interests in accordance with international law. Our opponents should not have any illusions on this issue," Ambassador Barbin said.
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said earlier that the alliance would deploy patrols in the Baltic Sea to protect member states' undersea infrastructure, involving frigates and maritime aircraft. He did not specify the number of warships and aircraft involved.
