Investigators Target Chinese Freighter Over Suspected Sabotage of Baltic Sea Undersea Data Cables

In November 2024, two critical undersea data cables in the Baltic Sea were damaged—one linking Rostock, Germany to Finland, and another connecting Sweden and Lithuania. The Chinese cargo ship 'Yi Peng 3' came under scrutiny after it anchored unexpectedly in the Kattegat area between Denmark and Sweden, close to where the cables were damaged. Danish naval ships closely followed the freighter, which reportedly ceased transmitting location data temporarily and navigated slowly near the cable sites. Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson and maritime security experts consider the incident a probable case of deliberate sabotage consistent with hybrid warfare tactics. Swedish naval forces are actively investigating the damage with underwater vehicles. The region's security tension is elevated due to frequent encounters involving NATO and Russian vessels, and allegations have also been directed at China and Russia for attempts to sabotage European undersea infrastructure. Both implicated governments deny involvement. Experts underline the extreme challenge in securing underwater cables given the heavy maritime traffic in the Baltic Sea.