Event 875

{
  "border_violation_countries": [
    "BSR"
  ],
  "category": "Undersea",
  "confidence": "Low",
  "confidence_rationale": "The charges and remand proceedings, alongside allegations of pipeline damage and supporting prosecutorial statements, are quoted directly from a reputable source with court documentation.",
  "countries": [
    "Finland",
    "Estonia",
    "Hong Kong",
    "China"
  ],
  "country": "Finland",
  "defense_prep": {},
  "description": "A Hong Kong-flagged container ship captain was remanded in custody in Hong Kong on suspicion of severing a critical Baltic Sea gas pipeline between Estonia and Finland in October 2023. The captain, Wan Wenguo, faces a criminal damage charge and two alleged violations of marine by-laws related to navigation safety and anchoring procedures. Prosecutors allege the NewNew Polar Bear's voyage resulted in damages to the Balticconnector pipeline and a nearby telecoms cable.",
  "event_time_utc": "2025-05-09T12:00:00Z",
  "evidence": [
    "Court documents and prosecutor statements cited in South China Morning Post article.",
    "Reference to criminal investigation into pipeline and telecoms cable damage involving the NewNew Polar Bear vessel in October 2023.",
    "Details of the defendant's remand, lack of bail, and next court hearing."
  ],
  "evidence_quotes": [
    "The captain of a Hong Kong-flagged container ship has been remanded in custody on suspicion of severing a critical Baltic Sea gas pipeline running between Estonia and Finland two years ago.",
    "Wan Wenguo, 43, appeared at Eastern Court on Thursday to face a count of criminal damage and two charges for alleged violations of local marine by-laws during the NewNew Polar Bear’s voyage from October to December of 2023.",
    "Prosecutors held the defendant, who is from mainland China, liable for the damages caused to the 77km (47.8-mile) Balticconnector, a natural gas pipeline that is a key source of energy for Finland, as well as a nearby telecoms cable, when the freight vessel sailed through the Gulf of Finland on October 8 of that year."
  ],
  "extra": {
    "category_raw": "Cable  Damage",
    "extra": {
      "extra": {
        "extra": {
          "evidence": [
            "Court documents and prosecutor statements cited in South China Morning Post article.",
            "Reference to criminal investigation into pipeline and telecoms cable damage involving the NewNew Polar Bear vessel in October 2023.",
            "Details of the defendant's remand, lack of bail, and next court hearing."
          ]
        }
      }
    }
  },
  "follow_up_by_country": [],
  "follow_up_notes": "Chinese ship captain charged for Balticconnector sabotage in 2023",
  "headline": "Ship captain remanded in custody in Hong Kong over damaging Baltic Sea pipeline",
  "location_text": "Baltic Sea, between Estonia and Finland",
  "media_assets": [
    {
      "description": "Screenshot capture",
      "type": "screenshot",
      "url": "/media/event_875_1763941335_28e57eab.jpg"
    }
  ],
  "notes": "Charges filed in Hong Kong against Wan Wenguo for damage to gas pipeline and telecoms cable.",
  "schema_version": "v1",
  "screenshot_count": 1,
  "sources": [
    "https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3309618/ship-captain-remanded-custody-hong-kong-over-damaging-baltic-sea-pipeline"
  ],
  "summary_short": "Captain of Hong Kong-flagged ship remanded after being charged over the suspected severing of a Baltic Sea gas pipeline in October 2023.",
  "url": "https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3309618/ship-captain-remanded-custody-hong-kong-over-damaging-baltic-sea-pipeline"
}

{
  "5th Column of Russians Inside (which countries)": "",
  "Attack Type": "cable  damage",
  "Borders Including Sea, Air,  Violation or Sabotage (which countries)": "BSR",
  "Continuous? (e.g. Jammers)": "",
  "Country (FI;EE;LV;LT;PL;BSR;Air)\nSeparated by Semicolon": "BSR",
  "Date": "9-May-25",
  "Defense Prep Event (FI-EE-LV-LT-PL)": "",
  "Defense Prep Event (FI-EE-LV-LT-PL) REF LINK": "",
  "Follow-Up Link?  (FI,EE,LV,LT,PL, BSR, Air)": "https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3309618/ship-captain-remanded-custody-hong-kong-over-damaging-baltic-sea-pipeline",
  "Follow-Up NOTES": "",
  "Follow-Up incl. Investigation, Prosecution?  (FI,EE,LV,LT,PL, BSR, Air)": "Chinese ship captain charged for Balticconnector sabotage in 2023",
  "Latitude, Longitude (WGS84, Decimal Degrees)": "",
  "NOTES": "Charges filed in Hong Kong against Wan Wenguo for damage to gas pipeline and telecoms cable.",
  "Political Disruptions w/ Laws to Favor Kremlin (which countries)": "",
  "Russian-Belarus Terrorist Event (FI-EE-LV-LT-PL)": "",
  "Russian-Belarus Terrorist Event (FI-EE-LV-LT-PL) REF LINK": "",
  "Screen Snapshot": "",
  "Screen Snapshots": "",
  "Type Dropdown": "",
  "Where?\n(Air, Land, Sea)": ""
}