For more than a week, a Chinese commercial ship has been anchored in the Baltic Sea, closely monitored by naval and coast guard vessels from European countries as authorities investigate a maritime incident.
The situation arose following the severing of two undersea fiber-optic cables, with a task force including Finland, Sweden, and Lithuania examining whether the ship's crew intentionally cut the cables by dragging the ship's anchor along the sea floor.
On Wednesday, Swedish police announced that their inquiry into the incident had concluded, although an ongoing investigation is still in progress. Initial findings from Sweden have not been disclosed.
U.S. intelligence officials assessed that the cables were not cut deliberately, but European authorities have not ruled out the possibility of sabotage.
Per Engström, superintendent of the Swedish police, stated, “The preliminary investigation was initiated because it cannot be ruled out that the cables were deliberately damaged. The current classification of the crime is sabotage, though this may change.”
Denmark indicated it is engaged in “ongoing dialogue” with various countries, including China, regarding the incident.
The severing of the cables has heightened tensions in Europe, which has experienced several apparent sabotage operations, often attributed to Russian intelligence operatives. This includes a recent plot involving incendiary devices on cargo planes, according to Western officials.
The commercial ship involved, the Yi Peng 3, sails under a Chinese flag and is owned by Ningbo Yipeng Shipping Co. Ltd. It departed from the Russian port of Ust-Luga on November 15 and traveled nearly the entire length of the Baltic Sea.
The first cable, connecting Lithuania and Sweden, was severed on the morning of November 17, followed by a second cable connecting Finland and Germany the next day. While the damage disrupted some data transfers, authorities confirmed that internet connections remained intact.
Investigators continue to analyze the situation as nearby naval vessels patrol the area surrounding the Chinese ship.
On November 19, a Danish Navy patrol ship tracked and subsequently stopped the Yi Peng 3. Since that time, the vessel has remained anchored in the Kattegat Strait, close to a Danish patrol vessel.
In the ensuing week, tracking data indicate that German Coast Guard vessels and warships, along with additional Danish naval ships, have operated in the vicinity. Most vessels stayed for one or two days before being replaced by others.
Recent satellite imagery and tracking data show the Chinese ship flanked by a German Coast Guard vessel and a Danish naval patrol ship, both approximately one mile away. On Wednesday evening, two German warships also passed by the Yi Peng 3.
At one point on Wednesday morning, a Danish naval vessel came within about 100 feet of the Chinese ship, according to ship-tracking data.
A vessel database indicates that the safety protocols for the Yi Peng 3 are managed by Win Enterprise Ship Management (Ningbo) Co., Ltd. Attempts to contact Ningbo Yipeng for comments were unsuccessful late Wednesday.
This incident is not the first involving a Chinese-flagged ship in the Baltic Sea. Last year, the Newnew Polar Bear dropped anchor and cut through a gas pipeline between Finland and Estonia. Authorities permitted that ship to enter international waters, a decision they now seek to avoid repeating with the Yi Peng 3.
Finland’s Defense Minister, Antti Häkkänen, emphasized the importance of accountability, stating, “It’s totally without question that if critical infrastructure of some countries has been destroyed or seriously damaged, and we have to find out who did it, there cannot be a situation in which one simply walks away from the scene.”