A Chinese cargo vessel suspected of sabotaging two undersea fiber-optic data cables in the Baltic Sea has been detained by the Danish Navy, after investigators successfully tracked the carrier’s days-long path from Russia through Sweden’s exclusive economic zone.
The first cable — which runs between Germany and Finland— was damaged on November 17, while the second was severed a day later between Sweden and Lithuania. According to The Wall Street Journal, Swedish investigators say that the Chinese bulk carrier Yi Peng 3 left a Russian port on November 15, and was passing through the area of each cable at the time they were damaged. Before the ship was detained, a Danish Navy vessel had shadowed the carrier in the days since the incidents.
In a statement issued on November 20, Swedish prime minister Ulf Kristersson said that the cables need to be “carefully investigated,” adding that his administration assumes “this could very well be sabotage.” A spokesperson with the Chinese government denied the allegations, saying that it requires all of its ships to adhere to international laws and regulations, particularly regarding the “protection of seabed infrastructure.” Although a Russian pilot guided the Yi Peng 3 out of port on November 15, Russian officials have denied any involvement in the incidents as well.
