The Chinese bulk carrier Yi Peng 3 has been allowed to sail away to Egypt by the Swedish authorities after it deliberately cut two underwater cables in the Baltic Sea, namely the telecommunications cables C-Lion 1 connecting Finland to Germany, and the BCS East-West cable linking Lithuania to Sweden. The Chinese ship cut the cables last November and was requested to halt its course by the Danish government.
Swedish government officials were allowed to board the ship as observers but a Swedish prosecutor was denied boarding the Yi Peng 3. The Swedes decided not to enforce their investigation and it is now on course to Egypt. The ship was located in international waters.
The Chinese government previously stated that is willing to cooperate with European authorities on an investigation, but has remained silent on the issue since then. The German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius described the incident as an act of sabotage.
Yesterday, the European Union’s High Representative, Kaja Kallas warned that Russia is conducting hybrid attacks against Europe including by targeting Europe’s undersea cables.
Newsroom
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