Media reports Chinese vessel suspected in Baltic Sea cable sabotage
Date
11/24/2024 7:09:28 AM
(MENAFN) A Chinese-registered merchant ship, Yi Peng 3, is being investigated for potential involvement in the damage to two undersea data cables in the Baltic Sea, according to various media reports. The cables affected include the BCS East-West-Interlink connecting Lithuania and Sweden, which was severely damaged on Sunday, and the C-Lion1 fiber-optic cable from Finland to Germany, which was cut the following morning. The cause of the damage remains unclear.
Swedish authorities are reportedly focusing on the Chinese vessel, which was en route from Russia to Egypt. The ship, owned by Ningbo Yipeng Shipping, stopped in the Kattegat strait north of Copenhagen, with two Danish Navy vessels in the vicinity. The Danish Ministry of Defense confirmed their presence near the ship but declined further comment.
While the Chinese embassy in Sweden stated they had no information on the matter, and the shipping company has pledged cooperation with the investigation, Finnish officials have cautioned against jumping to conclusions. German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius has suggested the damage may be the result of sabotage, stating, "No one believes these cables were cut accidentally." There are also reports that the captain of Yi Peng 3 is a Russian national. The C-Lion1 cable runs near the Nord Stream pipelines, which were also sabotaged in September 2022, though no party has claimed responsibility for the attacks.
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