Swedish authorities are investigating damage to two undersea communication cables in the Baltic Sea, with potential links to the Chinese cargo ship Yi Peng 3, according to a report by the Financial Times on November 20.
Meanwhile, the Visegrád 24 media outlet reported that the Danish Navy vessel Y311 Søløven intercepted the Yi Peng 3, which has since been stopped for inspection.
The ship’s captain is reportedly a Russian citizen.
While the Swedish government has not directly commented on the vessel, it has confirmed an ongoing police investigation involving the Coast Guard and Armed Forces.
“The situation is being thoroughly investigated to determine the cause of the damage,” Swedish officials stated.
The Yi Peng 3, owned by Ningbo Yipeng Shipping in eastern China, was traveling from Russia to Egypt at the time.
The shipping company has confirmed it is cooperating with the investigation at the request of the Chinese government.
Data from the website MarineTraffic indicates that the vessel’s route and timing align with the locations of the cable damage, which occurred on November 17 and 18. The affected cables connect Sweden to Lithuania and Finland to Germany and play a critical role in regional internet traffic.
The incidents caused large-scale disruptions, and Swedish authorities are now investigating whether the damage was accidental or deliberate.
