A Chinese vessel suspected of cutting an undersea cable in the Baltic Sea has been detained by the Danish Navy in NATO Lake on Wednesday, November 20.
On Sunday (17th) and Monday (18th), the 730-mile C-Lion 1 cable connecting Finland and Germany, as well as a 130-mile cable linking Sweden and Lithuania, were both severed.
Data from the maritime tracking organization Marine Traffic showed that the Chinese registered bulk carrier “Yi Peng 3” was in the vicinity of both cables when they were cut. The ship initially departed from Ust-Luga to Port in Russia, heading towards Port Said in Egypt.
The “Yi Peng 3” belongs to Ningbo Yipeng Shipping Company, based near Ningbo Port, with only two vessels under its name, “Yi Peng 3” being one of them.
Germany, Sweden, Finland, and Lithuania are conducting investigations into the incident, examining the role played by the Chinese vessel.
In a joint statement, the defense ministers of the four countries emphasized that “such incidents should be assessed against the backdrop of Russia’s increasingly threatening actions towards us, as Europe is currently facing a growing number of hybrid warfare activities.”
The UK’s Financial Times reported that investigators are looking into the movements of the “Yi Peng 3.” Social media reports suggest that the vessel has a Russian captain, but this information has not been independently confirmed.
According to open-source intelligence analysts, the Danish Navy is tracking the “Yi Peng 3” ship.
An OSINT account tracking ships in the Baltic Sea, “auonsson,” posted on social media platform X on Wednesday: “The vessel suspected of damaging two communication cables in the Baltic Sea has been detained by the Danish Navy.”
The post stated that they monitored the “Yi Peng 3” slowing down and stopping. The vessel is currently “anchored outside Danish territorial waters, with patrol/diving vessel Y311 SØLØVEN escorting it.”
“The frigate HDMS HVIDBJØRNEN may also appear (no AIS, but accelerating towards the situation),” the post added.
Subsequently, the Danish military confirmed this. They posted on X, stating: “The Danish Ministry of Defense can confirm our presence in the area around the Chinese vessel Yi Peng 3. The Danish Ministry of Defense currently has no further comments.”
The law firm Clyde & Co’s partner and global arbitration group chairman Ben Knowles told News Weekly that this incident has “significant legal implications.”
“Similar to the Nord Stream incident, a complex and lengthy investigation may be required to determine the cause and identify the responsible parties,” Knowles said. He referred to the explosion that destroyed the gas pipeline between Russia and Germany in September 2022, the cause of which remains unknown.
Knowles stated that given the technical, geopolitical, and jurisdictional factors involved, the investigation could last for several years. Additionally, it may involve insurance claims, compensation for service interruptions, and potential diplomatic or legal actions between nations.
“These outcomes could set a precedent for dealing with acts of submarine infrastructure destruction in an increasingly tense global environment,” he added.