An undersea fiber optic cable between Latvia and Sweden was damaged on Sunday, likely as a result of external influence, Latvia said, triggering an investigation by local and NATO maritime forces in the Baltic Sea.

RIGA, Latvia (AP) — Latvian Prime Minister Evika Siliņa said Sunday that her government has reached out to Sweden and other Baltic Sea allies in NATO for assistance as it investigates the cause of damage to an underwater data cable running to Sweden.

A subsea data cable between Latvia and Sweden was damaged early Sunday, sparking a criminal investigation, a third such incident in the Baltic Sea in the past three months.

An undersea fibre optic cable between Latvia and Sweden has been damaged, likely due to external influence, prompting a joint investigation by NATO and Baltic nations. Swedish and Latvian authorities are cooperating to assess the situation and determine necessary actions for the repair and protection of critical infrastructure.

Latvia dispatched a warship on Sunday after damage to a fibre optic cable to Sweden that may have been “due to external factors”. The navy said it had identified a “suspect vessel”, the Michalis San,

The Arelion submarine cable, which connects the Swedish island of Gotland to Lithuania, and the C-Lion 1 submarine communications cable that runs between Finland's capital Helsinki and the German city of Rostock were also damaged in mid-November near Sweden's territorial waters.