Summary
Sweden is investigating the Chinese vessel Yi Peng 3 after it was tracked near two severed Baltic Sea data cables connecting Sweden-Lithuania and Finland-Germany, incidents suspected to be sabotage.
The cables were damaged within 24 hours, and Germany called it a likely act of “hybrid warfare.”
The ship, owned by a Chinese company, follows a similar 2023 case involving a Chinese vessel damaging a Baltic gas pipeline.
Germany, Sweden, Finland, and Lithuania expressed concerns, citing increased hybrid threats linked to Russia, as investigations continue.
There’s a history of Chinese ships dragging their anchors and damaging undersea infrastructure:
Russian communication lines and Baltic natural gas pipeline severed Nov 2023
Also a regular occurrence in the Taiwan strait.
27 times in the past 5 years (Article date 2023).