Baltic Sea cable sabotage: Chinese ship under scrutiny

Operators of telecommunications cables in the Baltic Sea, connecting Sweden with Lithuania and Finland with Germany, announced the completion of repairs. According to Yle, the work on the sea floor has been completed, and the connections are now fully functional.

The crew of the Chinese ship Yi Peng 3 is suspected of causing the cable damage. According to the "Wall Street Journal," the ship might have deliberately dragged the anchor for over 160 kilometres, leading to the severing of the cables. The Swedish prosecutor's office is conducting an investigation into this matter.

The Chinese ship Yi Peng 3, which departed from a Russian oil port, is currently in international waters in the Kattegat Strait. It is being monitored by the Danish navy and the Swedish coast guard. The Prime Minister of Sweden, Ulf Kristersson, has asked China for cooperation in clarifying the incident.

According to media reports, the Chinese container ship, which was transporting Russian fertilisers, dropped its anchor near the first severed cable between Sweden and Lithuania, and dragged it across the seabed for over 160 kilometres.

As a result, it might have also severed the second cable between Germany and Finland, and the dropped anchor noticeably reduced its speed. This could indicate that the incident was not accidental.

The ship turned off the transponder. After severing the second cable, it raised the anchor.