STOCKHOLM — Swedish authorities say they are investigating a damaged cable discovered in the Baltic Sea, the latest in a string of recent incidents of ruptured undersea cables that have heightened fears of Russian sabotage and spying in the region.

The breakage was found on a cable that runs between Germany and Finland off the island of Gotland, which lies in Sweden's exclusive economic zone.

The coast guard has been responding to the incident.

"The preliminary investigation into sabotage was opened so that the police can have access to the tools needed to clarify what happened," Swedish police said in a statement. "We are cooperating with the relevant authorities and have no further information to share at this time."

Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson said on the social media platform X that the government takes all reports of damage to infrastructure in the Baltic Sea very seriously.

Late last month, authorities discovered damage to the undersea fibreoptic cable running between Gotland and the Latvian city of Ventspils.

A vessel belonging to a Bulgarian shipping company was seized, but was ultimately released after Swedish prosecutors ruled out initial suspicions that the damage was caused by sabotage.

At the end of January, the Norwegian coast guard seized a ship with an all-Russian crew suspected of being involved in damage to the cable. — Euronews