Everything happened in less than twenty-four hours. Two undersea telecommunications cables crossing the Baltic Sea were cut in what increasingly seems like a deliberate act of sabotageand European governments point the finger at Russia.
A suspicious total interruption
The first cable, which connected Lithuania with the Swedish island of Gotlandstopped working on Sunday morning. The second, a vital connection between Helsinki and the German port of Rostockbroke down the next night. The two cables, separated by about 100 kilometersare crucial infrastructure for high-speed internet communications in northern Europe.
German Defense Minister Boris Pistoriushe didn’t beat around the bush: “No one believes these cables were accidentally cut.” A position shared by the Finnish government: the European minister Joakim Strand called the incident “concerning.” The company Telia Lietuvawhich operates the cable between Lithuania and Sweden, specified that it was not partial damage, but rather a “total interruption” of the connection.
The trace of the Chinese ship
The investigations focus on the Yi Peng 3a Chinese merchant ship that, according to MarineTraffic data, passed through the two areas where the cables were damaged. The ship was following a route from the Russian port of Ust-Luga, near Saint Petersburg, to Port Said, in Egypt, when the incidents occurred. The ship’s movements attracted the attention of the armies of northern Europe. After passing through critical areas, the ship was closely followed by the Danish navy, as confirmed by intelligence experts from open sources cited by the Financial Times.
He Yi Peng 3 belongs to Ningbo Yipeng Shippinga company that only owns two ships and is based near the Chinese port of Ningbo, China. A company spokesperson made a brief statement to Financial Times : “the government has asked the company to cooperate with the investigation,” and then declined to answer further questions. The swedish authorities They opened a preliminary investigation for possible sabotage. Swedish Civil Defense Minister Carl-Oskar Bohlin confirmed to Reuters that “our armed forces and the coast guard have detected naval movements that correspond to the interruption of the two cables.” To support the research, the Swedish navy has deployed specialized ships equipped with remotely controlled vehicles for underwater operations.
A series of incidents in the Baltic
The case of the Yi Peng 3 is not isolated, but is part of a Disturbing series of incidents with underwater infrastructure in the Baltic. Just a year ago, in October 2023, an almost identical incident set off alarm bells: the Chinese container ship NewNew Polar Bear had damaged the Balticconnector gas pipeline between Finland and Estonia. That same night, two telecommunications cables were also affected: one between Estonia and Sweden and another of the Russian cables in the Gulf of Finland.
But it is the Nord Stream sabotage September 2022 which represents the most serious episode in the recent history of the Baltic. Gas pipelines connecting Russia to Germany were blown up in what a Swedish investigation called a clear act of sabotage with explosives. A case that has never been solved, and in which Russia and Western countries blame each other.
The similarities between these episodes are disturbing. In all cases, the ships involved had connections with Russian ports. The Yi Peng 3, like the NewNew Polar Bear before it, was on a route to or from Russia when the damage occurred. The repair of these cables, as explained by the Finnish company Cinia, It will take between five and 15 daysif weather conditions permit. A time during which communications will have to resort to alternative backup routes.
The consequences and the international response
Damage to submarine cables is having a limited impact on communications through backup systemsbut the political and diplomatic impact is significant. NATO, through its Maritime Center for the Security of Critical Underwater Infrastructures, is collaborating closely with its allies to clarify the facts, an Alliance official confirmed to Reuters.
The foreign ministers of France, Germany, Italy, Poland and the United Kingdom gave a clear signal in a joint statement: “Moscow’s hybrid activities against NATO and EU countries are unprecedented in their variety and scale.” , and create significant safety risks.” By “hybrid war “is understood as a strategy that combines cyberattacks, infrastructure sabotage and disinformation campaigns. Russia rejects all accusations. According to Reuters, Moscow maintains that these accusations are “invented to harm Russian interests through an information war waged by the West.”
Lithuanian Defense Minister Laurynas Kasčiūnascalled for concrete measures, inform Political: “Following the investigation, the EU and Member States must make the best possible use of the new sanctions regime for this type of sabotage of critical infrastructure.” The Lithuanian armed forces have already increased surveillance of their waters in response to the incident.
Sweden has taken the lead in the investigation. Swedish prosecutors have opened a preliminary investigation into suspicions of sabotage, as the cables cross the country’s exclusive economic zone. Investigators are analyzing not only the physical damage suffered by the cables, but also the movements of all ships in the area during the critical period. USA monitor the situation closely. State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said Washington is “incredibly concerned about hybrid warfare,” adding that the United States is awaiting the outcome of the European investigation before commenting specifically on the incident.
Article originally published in WIRED Italy. Adapted by Mauricio Serfatty Godoy.
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