BULGARIAN shipping firm Navibulgar has denied allegations that its vessel, Vezhen, deliberately damaged an underwater fibre optic cable linking Latvia and Sweden's Gotland island, reports the Associated Press.

Swedish prosecutors launched a preliminary investigation into possible sabotage after detaining the ship in the Baltic Sea.

Navibulgar CEO Alexander Kalchev acknowledged the ship might have accidentally damaged the cable but dismissed any suggestion of intentional harm.

He cited adverse weather conditions on the night of the incident, which caused the ship's left anchor to drag along the seabed.

The ship's automatic identification system confirmed it passed over the cable, though the exact timing of the damage remains unclear.

Kalchev expressed confidence that investigators will determine the incident was a technical mishap, not sabotage.

The Vezhen, a 32,000-ton, Maltese-flagged vessel launched in 2022, was en route to South America carrying fertilizer. Swedish authorities continue their investigation with support from national police, the Coast Guard, and the Armed Forces.