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Russia Now Primary Suspect in ‘Yi Peng 3’ Baltic Sea Cable Incident

Malte Humpert

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December 16, 2024

By Malte Humpert (gCaptain) –

Chinese bulk carrier Yi Peng 3 remains at anchor in international waters of Denmark’s Kattegat Strait a month after the C-Lion 1 and BCS East-West Interlink cables in the Baltic Sea were damaged. 

While Sweden has now scaled back direct observation of Yi Peng 3, Danish and German patrol ships remain on standby in proximity to the bulk carrier. 

Swedish officials confirmed that they had been in contact with the vessel’s crew to ask it to return to Swedish waters in support of the ongoing investigation; thus far without success.

The German Coast Guard has cycled through several of its patrol vessels, with Neustadt the latest to arrive on site. Previously Bamberg equipped with unmanned underwater vehicles traveled to both the location of the damaged cable and Yi Peng 3.

Over the weekend the WSJ reported that Western intelligence services believe the vessel’s Chinese captain was “induced by Russian intelligence” to use the ship’s anchor to damage the cables. 

A comment by U.S. Assistant Secretary of Defense Christopher Maier on the incident seemingly confirms the Russia connection. “Russia understands that it cannot match the United States militarily after the setbacks in Ukraine and is looking for other ways to pressure and disrupt Western countries,” he told Swedish daily Svenska Dagbladet. 

The waters of the Baltics and North Sea have seen a growing number of incidents like the one surrounding Yi Peng 3 and last year’s Newnew Polar Bear. “We therefore expect to see more types of sabotage and other disruptive and subversive incidents,” Maier confirmed.

The Kremlin has repeatedly called such claims “absurd.” Fact is that after operating primarily in Asia between 2013 and 2024, without any visits to Russia, Yi Peng 3 began changing its operating pattern in March 2024 with several visits to Murmansk and Ust-Luga near St. Petersburg. The vessel also switched its P&I Insurance to the London P&I Club on November 13 just days before the incident, Equasis database records show. 

Government officials in Sweden and Germany confirmed that an investigation was ongoing, but that due to the sensitive nature they would be unable to comment any further.

AIS signals showing Danish Navy Patrol HDMS Rota (P525) and German Coast Guard vessel Neustadt on scene around a nautical mile apart. (Source: MarineTraffic.com)

The German Coast Guard, after examining the broken C-Lion 1 cable with a SeaCat autonomous reconnaissance underwater vehicle, confirmed that the damage they observed was consistent with that caused by a dragged anchor, including a deep furrow on the seabed. The cable has since been repaired.

There is quite a high probability that this is a malign activity, the recent disruption of cables in the Baltic Sea,” Lithuanian President Gitanas Naus?da said last week.

While European officials have confirmed that China is cooperating in the various pending investigations, it has thus far not intervened to e.g. allow the boarding of the vessel. After more than a month at sea the Yi Peng 3 may also be running low on provisions, eventually requiring it to head into port or receive supplies. Danish and German officials previously stated they’d follow the vessel if it were to depart.