Russia claims to have captured the strategically important Ukrainian town of Velyka Novosilka, as Vladimir Putin’s forces continue their push in the Donetsk region.While Moscow’s claims could not be independently verified,

Russian law enforcement officers appealed to the authorities of Latvia, where actor Arthur Smolyaninov allegedly lives ***, with a request to assist in the investigation of the criminal case initiated against him.

Swedish authorities have seized a ship suspected of damaging a data cable running under the Baltic Sea to Latvia. Prosecutors said an initial investigation pointed to sabotage, and an inquiry has been launched involving Sweden's police, military, and coast guard.

Latvia's prime minister says 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 fiber-optic data cable running to Sweden.

Sweden was spurred to join NATO in response to the security threat posed by Russia following its invasion of Ukraine. It has sent its troops to Latvia, which borders Russia and its ally Belarus. As a former Soviet republic, Latvia has highlighted the threat posed by Moscow after the war in Ukraine.

Sunday's rupture follows a string of incidents that have heightened fears of Russian sabotage and spying in the strategic region. #EuropeNews

Undersea cable between Sweden and Latvia damaged, as attention focuses on Malta-flagged vessel that sailed from Russia.

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.

Another undersea data cable, this time connecting Sweden and Latvia, has been severed in the Baltic Sea, officials from both countries said Sunday, and prompted Latvia to dispatch a warship near to

Latvian navy coordinating with Nato over incident which comes after military alliance boosted its presence in Baltic Sea in December

On Sunday morning, an undersea fiber-optic cable belonging to the Latvian State Radio and Television Center (LVRTC) was damaged in the Baltic Sea, the center reported.