Russian Intelligence Behind Chinese Ship’s Damage to Baltic Sea Cables
A Chinese cargo ship damaged vital telecommunications cables in the Baltic Sea, according to a report by The Wall Street Journal. The damage was ordered by Russian intelligence.
This is another example of Russia’s attacks on NATO countries’ infrastructure. The NATO Secretary General has said that Russia is waging an open war against these countries. Since the start of the war in Ukraine, there have been around 150 such attacks on NATO nations. These include cyberattacks and sabotage.
The damaged cable was laid underwater between Finland, Germany, Sweden, and Lithuania. It’s a critical communication line to Central Europe. The Chinese ship, Yi Peng 3, passed over the cables on November 18, 2024. The damage was reported by all four countries.
According to sources close to the investigation, Russian intelligence instructed the captain of the Yi Peng 3 to damage the cables using the ship’s anchor. The vessel and its crew were later detained for questioning by the Royal Danish Navy. Reports identify the captain as Russian citizen Alexander Stechentsev.
Before the suspected attack, a Russian warship had arrived in the area to gather intelligence. This suggests that Russia was involved in planning the attack on the telecommunications cables.
NATO is facing challenges in responding to this incident, as they are avoiding direct accusations against Russia. The reasons for the Chinese ship’s route changes earlier this year remain unclear, and it is not known if there was any collaboration between the ship and Russian authorities.