Chinese vessel under scrutiny for Baltic cable damage

The Danish navy reached the Chinese bulk carrier Yi Peng 3 in the Kattegat Strait. The vessel is likely responsible for damaging telecommunications cables on the Baltic Sea floor.

The Danish military forces confirmed on Wednesday that they reached the Chinese vessel Yi Peng 3 located in the Kattegat Strait. Forsvaret, the Danish Ministry of Defence made the announcement.

The Ministry stated on social media that representatives of the Ministry of Defence are present near the ship. However, the post mentions that "there are no further comments for now."

There was speculation in the Danish media about the possibility of the Danish navy seizing the ship. Publicly accessible maritime traffic websites indicated the close presence of a Danish patrol vessel next to the Chinese freighter.

However, according to an expert quoted by "Berlingske," Yi Peng 3 has already left Danish territorial waters. Professor Kristina Siig from the University of Southern Denmark, an expert in maritime law, emphasized that the suspicions would not justify an arrest.

"Even though Denmark may have justifiable suspicions about the ship's involvement in cable disruptions, we have no right to board it, search it, or interrogate the crew," said the specialist. She also mentioned that if the ship is in international waters, the only option is to request China for permission to board.

Two submarine cables, one connecting Lithuania to Sweden and the other Finland to Germany, were destroyed on Sunday and Monday in the Swedish economic zone. The police in Stockholm have investigated this matter, considering the possibility of sabotage.

The Danish navy vessel P525, and then another ship HDMS Soeloeven, reached the Chinese bulk carrier on the evening of November 19, 6 PM EST. The Chinese ship was sailing from the Russian port of Ust-Luga.

This is not the first time a Chinese marine vessel has damaged strategic infrastructure in the Baltic Sea. In October 2023, the Balticconnector gas pipeline connecting Estonia and Finland was breached.

An anchor dropped from the Chinese container ship Newnew Polar Bear damaged the gas pipeline. The vessel was suspected of being responsible for that incident from the beginning; however, no decision was made to detain it, and it escaped from the Baltic Sea without consequences.