Two undersea internet cables connecting Finland and Sweden to Central Europe were cut last week, with authorities suspecting sabotage. According to the Wall Street Journal, investigators suspect that the Yi Peng 3, a Chinese bulk carrier traveling to Egypt from Russia and loaded with fertilizer, deliberately dropped its anchor in Swedish waters to sever the BCS East-West Interlink cable connecting it to Lithuania and then did it again the following day to damage the C-Lion1 cable between Finland and Germany. In total, they suspect the ship dragged its anchor for over 100 miles.
“It’s extremely unlikely that the captain would not have noticed that his ship dropped and dragged its anchor, losing speed for hours and cutting cables on the way,” said one of the investigators handling the probe. What’s more concerning is that the crew allegedly turned off the ship’s transponder during this time, making it impossible for the Automatic Identification System to track its movement. After the ship hit the second undersea cable, the investigators said that it zigzagged, raised its anchor, and continued underway.
Open maritime tracking sources put the Yi Peng 3 in international waters between Denmark and Sweden. However, it’s currently stopped and surrounded by NATO ships as the investigation is underway. According to one source, the ship’s anchor and hull have damage consistent with dragging and cable damage.
At the moment, Reuters said that Swedish authorities are talking with Ningbo Yipeng Shipping, the ship's owners, to sail it back into Swedish waters. However, since the Yi Peng 3 is anchored in international waters, NATO cannot force it to sail into any port under international maritime law for further investigation.
However, even though the Yi Peng 3 is a Chinese-flagged ship helmed by a Chinese crew, many Western authorities do not suspect Chinese involvement. Instead, they suspect Russian involvement in this act of sabotage. In a statement regarding the accusations, the Kremlin said that they are absurd and unsubstantiated. Furthermore, it added that Western officials did not make any comments when Ukraine destroyed the Nord Stream gas pipeline in 2022.
On the other hand, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said, “I would like to reiterate China’s consistent support working with all countries to maintain the security of international submarine cables and other infrastructure in accordance with international law.”
The Wall Street Journal said that the Yi Peng 3 only operated in Chinese waters from 2019 through the first quarter of 2024. However, it changed its route after this, traveling to Russian ports carrying coal, fertilizer, and other cargo. Experts say that this isn’t definitive proof of Russian involvement, but it should be one of the things that investigators should look at, especially as this incident happened soon after the U.S. allowed Ukraine to strike targets within Russia using the long-range munitions it provided.
