A Swedish investigation has found no conclusive evidence that a Chinese ship dragged its anchor deliberately to damage two undersea communications cables in the Baltic Sea, the Swedish Accident Investigation Board said, as quoted by “Reuters“.
The ship under investigation is the bulk carrier Yi Peng 3, which is suspected of causing the severing of two fiber-optic cables - one connecting Finland and Germany, the other - Sweden and Lithuania. The incidents occurred in Swedish economic waters on November 17 and 18, 2023.
“It cannot be determined with certainty whether the Chinese ship acted intentionally,“ investigators said.
Meanwhile, Swedish prosecutor Henrik Söderman is leading a parallel, separate investigation. He declined to provide further information at this stage.
Investigative authorities have been limited in their actions because Chinese authorities retain jurisdiction over the ship and do not allow criminal investigations or interviews on board.
In December, China said it had provided documents and information related to the incident. Russia – China's ally – has so far denied any involvement in any damage to infrastructure in the region.
The Baltic Sea has been under increased scrutiny after a series of failures in telecommunications links, power cables and gas pipelines since the start of Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022. In response, NATO has increased its military presence in the region with frigates, aircraft and naval drones.