On Friday, Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda stated that two undersea cables that were damaged in the Baltic Sea last month are likely to have been intentionally cut. The cables, one connecting Finland and Germany and the other Sweden and Lithuania, were damaged on the 17th and 18th of November respectively, but were repaired and restored to normal operation in less than 24 hours. The President expressed concerns about the possibility of malicious activity behind the disruptions to the Baltic Sea cables.
Investigations have focused on the departure of the ship “Yi Bang 3” from the Russian port of Ust-Luga on November 15th. Analysis of MarineTraffic data reportedly showed that the coordinates of this Chinese cargo ship matched the time and location of the cable disruptions in the Swedish economic zone. Security officials allege that the “Yi Bang 3” caused the damage by dragging its anchor underwater, resulting in the severance of the cables.
Intelligence officials from various Western countries believe that the Chinese vessel was responsible for the cable cuts, although there are differing opinions on the nature of the incident. While Germany has not disclosed specific suspects, they consider the cable cutting as an act of “sabotage” that could be part of a “hybrid” warfare strategy.
In a joint statement, the Foreign Ministers of Finland and Germany expressed immediate suspicions of intentional sabotage in the incident and stated that a thorough investigation is ongoing. The vessel “Yi Bang 3” has been stationary in Danish waters under monitoring by naval ships from NATO member states. Sweden had previously urged the ship to return for investigation.
China has offered to cooperate with the investigation, while Russia has denied involvement. This incident is reminiscent of a similar event last year when the Chinese ship “New Polar Bear” damaged cables connecting Estonia to Finland and Sweden, as well as an Estonia-Finland natural gas pipeline.
Rostelecom, a Russian telecommunications company, reported on November 7th of last year that a Russian undersea cable was severed after a Chinese container ship passed through the Baltic Sea a month prior. The situation has raised international concerns about the security of undersea communication infrastructure in the region.
Overall, the deliberate disruption of undersea cables in the Baltic Sea has sparked diplomatic tensions and calls for a thorough investigation into the incidents. The involvement of Chinese vessels in multiple cable damages continues to raise questions about maritime security and potential threats to critical communication networks.