Danish Navy Suspects Chinese Bulk Carrier Behind The Baltic Sea Cable Damage

The Danish navy confirmed that it is closely monitoring a Chinese bulk carrier, Yi Peng 3, which is anchored in the Kattegat Strait between Denmark and Sweden, just days after two critical undersea telecom cables in the Baltic Sea were severed.

As confirmed by vessel tracking data, a Danish patrol ship has also been stationed nearby. However, they declined to comment or link the ship to the damaged cables.

The breaches involved two submarine cables: one between Sweden and Lithuania on Sunday and another between Finland and Germany less than 24 hours later on Monday.

Both incidents occurred in Sweden’s exclusive economic zone. Swedish prosecutors have launched a preliminary investigation on suspicion of sabotage.

According to Swedish authorities, ship movements in the area at the time of the interruptions are being investigated, and the Chinese vessel has emerged as a point of interest.

However, Swedish police clarified that other vessels may also be involved in the investigation.

Traffic data revealed that the Yi Peng 3 left the Russian port of Ust-Luga on November 15 and was near the damaged cables during the incidents.

Swedish Civil Defense Minister Carl-Oskar Bohlin said that the country’s armed forces and coastguard had tracked vessel movements matching the timeline of the cable disruptions.

Meanwhile, the Chinese government spokesperson said China follows international law and is committed to protecting submarine infrastructure.

The spokesperson said during a press conference that they add great value to the protection of seabed infrastructure and are actively working with the international community to protect global information systems.

Russia has faced increasing accusations from European governments of hybrid attacks, but it has denied any involvement in the cable damage. Dmitry Peskov, a Kremlin spokesperson, dismissed the allegations against Russia as absurd and without evidence.

The Danish military rarely makes such public comments about specific vessels in its waters, so the announcement is an unusual one.

While the military has not directly linked the vessel to the cable breaches, its presence in the Kattegat Strait is being closely monitored.

References: Reuters, TOI

Source: Maritime Shipping News