In November, multiple subsea cables in the Baltic Sea were severed, raising immediate concerns of intentional sabotage. Recently, Swedish authorities have released their initial findings, indicating that there’s no concrete evidence of deliberate damage. “It cannot be determined with certainty whether a Chinese ship intentionally damaged data cables in the Baltic Sea,” stated the Swedish government authority.
Despite these findings, another investigation into the potential for deliberate sabotage continues. The head of the investigating authority, Jonas Bäckstrand, emphasized, “A lot of [the damage to the cables] is consistent with an accident. But it is clear that if you want to do something deliberately, you also do it in a way that will avoid detection as much as possible.”
At the center of the probe is the Chinese vessel Yi Peng 3. This ship was present in the area when the cables were severed, prompting an investigation to determine if an anchor dragged across the cables, either unintentionally or otherwise.
The incident affected two essential cables: the BCS East-West Interlink and the C-lion-1. The BCS cable links Gotland, Sweden, and Lithuania, while the C-lion-1 cable is the only direct connection between Finland and mainland Europe.
The magnitude of the event prompted a joint statement by the German and Finnish governments expressing deep concern. “We are deeply concerned about the severed undersea cable connecting Finland and Germany in the Baltic Sea,” they conveyed, adding that such incidents raise immediate suspicions of intentional actions, reflecting today’s tense geopolitical climate.
Finnish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson remarked on the gravity of the situation. “We take all reports of possible damage to infrastructure in the Baltic Sea very seriously,” he noted, considering the pervasive security tensions.