Two undersea fiber optic cables in the Baltic Sea were severed Monday in what is thought to be an act of sabotage. A 745-mile cable linking Germany and Finland and a 135-mile cable linking Lithuania and the Swedish island of Gotland were cut between 2 a.m. and 8 a.m. In a statement, German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius ruled out an accident.
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“We have to conclude, without knowing exactly who did it, that it is a hybrid action and we also have to assume — without knowing it — that it is sabotage,” Pistorius told reporters in Brussels on the sidelines of a Council of the European Union meeting.
Traffic was rerouted, and service resumed, but the damage will take up to two weeks to repair.
Circumstantial evidence points to the Chinese-flagged freighter Yi Peng 3.
🇨🇳🇩🇰 Suspected sabotage: Chinese freighter Yi Peng 3 in focus.
The Chinese freighter Yi Peng 3 came under suspicion after it slowed down for over an hour directly above the cable routes while damaging three Baltic Sea cables.⬇️ pic.twitter.com/b0b9RHeB6J
— VukFeNix (@vukfenix) November 19, 2024
The Yi Peng 3 is being escorted by the Danish patrol vessel HDMS Rota. It remains to be seen if the Danish government has the stones to board the Yi Peng 3 when it passes through Danish waters.
This episode bears a startling resemblance to the Chinese freighter Newnew Polar Bear disabling a gas line between Finland and Estonia by dragging an anchor over it; see Chinese Container Ship Suspected of Deliberately Damaging Estonia-Finland Gas Pipeline. In that case, the freighter high-tailed it to safe haven in the Russian port of Arkhangelsk.
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It is becoming obvious that China is engaged in a hybrid conflict with the EU, either on its own behalf or in support of Russian adventurism. Every instance of Chinese attacks on critical infrastructure that goes unanswered will simply embolden and encourage the Chinese. Allowing this ship to go on its way is a sure ticket to another more significant attack.
