Baltic Sea cables 'sabotage' narrows down to Chinese ship

Sweden's Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson announced Tuesday that Stockholm had requested a Chinese ship, currently anchored off Denmark, to move to Swedish waters as part of an ongoing investigation into two severed undersea cables in the Baltic Sea.

Addressing a press conference, Kristersson emphasised that the request to the vessel, identified as the Yi Peng 3, and to Chinese authorities was not an "accusation" but rather a step to "figure out what has happened."

The Yi Peng 3 was reportedly in the vicinity of the cables when they were cut on November 17 and 18, as suggested by ship tracking data.

However, there is no direct evidence implicating the ship in the incidents.

The cables—one running from Sweden's Gotland island to Lithuania (Arelion cable) and another linking the Finnish capital Helsinki to the German port of Rostok (C-Lion 1 submarine cable)—were severed within Swedish territorial waters.

C-Lion 1 was was cut south of Sweden's Oland island, around 700 kilometres (435 miles) from Helsinki.

Swedish and Finnish police have launched investigations into what European officials suspect may be "sabotage" tied to heightened geopolitical tensions following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

The Kremlin has dismissed such suspicions as "absurd" and "laughable."

The Yi Peng 3 has been stationed in the narrow Kattegat strait between Sweden and Denmark since the incidents.

Denmark's navy has been shadowing the vessel, which is in international waters, since Wednesday, with Sweden's coast guard joining the effort on Saturdday.

China’s foreign ministry has denied any responsibility, while Swedish officials are seeking clarification without directly assigning blame.

This is not the first time Chinese ships have been allegedly linked to incidents in the region.

In October 2023, an undersea gas pipeline between Finland and Estonia was damaged by the anchor of a Chinese cargo ship.

The incident of severed cables comes amid escalating concerns over Baltic Sea security.

In September 2022, blasts destroyed sections of the Nord Stream pipelines that carried Russian gas to Europe, heightening regional tensions. Germany has implicated Ukrainian diving instructor Volodymyr Z, who is alleged to have been part of a team responsible for the pipeline explosions.

As investigations into the latest incidents continue, the Yi Peng 3 remains a focal point of attention. Swedish authorities appear determined to uncover whether its presence was merely coincidental or something more significant.