[The Epoch Times, 27 Samhain, 2024](Complete report by Epoch Times reporter Li Yan) After two submarine optical cables (cables, submarine cables) in the Baltic Sea were recently cut on purpose, Chinese merchant ship drags anchor into focus. The suspect was surrounded by European warships in international waters to cooperate with the investigation. The incident is likely to exacerbate tensions between Beijing and European countries.
According to the Wall Street Journal, investigators suspect that the bulk carrier Yi Peng 3 (225 meters long and 32 meters wide, carrying Russian fertilizer) dragged its anchor to the bottom of the Baltic Sea for more than 100 miles last week critical data cables.
This is a new wave of attacks on Europe’s critical infrastructure. The “Yipeng 3” left the Russian Baltic Sea port of Ust-Luga on November 15.
Between November 17 and 18, a submarine cable was damaged in Swedish waters, and the country’s authorities launched a “sabotage” investigation. Russia denies wrongdoing.
Investigators determined that the “Yipeng 3” anchored around 9 pm local time on November 17, but was still floating in Swedish waters. Shortly after, the anchor parted to pull the first cable between Sweden and Lithuania, according to two people familiar with the matter.
During this time, the ship’s transponders that were monitoring the ship’s movements were turned off.
Investigators said the “Yipeng 3” traveled about 111 miles at about 3 a.m. the next day and severed the second cable between Germany and Finland.Soon after, the ship began to bend, weigh anchor and move forward. After that, Danish naval vessels began to pursue the “Yipeng 3”, eventually anchoring it in the area that connects the Baltic Sea and the NorthQuettagat Sea.
Inspections of the ship’s anchor and hull showed damage consistent with a dragged anchor and severed cables, people familiar with the matter said.
An analysis prepared for China Daily by Kpler, an analytics firm that provides real-time data on international shipping, showed that “with the mild weather and manageable wave height, there appears to be little potential there the anchor will be accidentally dragged.”
Such incidents have been dealt with in secret in the past, but last week’s destruction of internet cables quickly prompted public intervention from key European leaders.
The Danish Ministry of Defense said in an email to AFP on November 20, “The Danish Ministry of Defense can confirm that we are in the waters near the Chinese vessel ‘Yipeng 3’.”
The Chinese carrier is now protected by a small flotilla of North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) ships belonging to Denmark, Germany and Sweden.
According to spies, the crew of the “Yipeng 3” consists of a Chinese captain and a Russian sailor, and has not yet been questioned. However, a member of a Danish pilot boat briefly boarded the vessel before it docked in Kattegat.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Mao Ning told reporters on Wednesday that China has always “supported” joint efforts with other countries to maintain the security of international submarine cables and other infrastructure. .
Last October, a Chinese-registered ship called Newnew Polar Bear used its anchor to cut a natural gas pipeline in the Baltic Sea and a telecommunications cable connecting Finland and Estonia. Some officials familiar with the investigation said that Russian crew members were on board the Chinese ship at the time of the incident.
Russian telecommunications company Rostelecom said on November 7 last year that a month earlier a Chinese carrier sailed through a Russian optical cable under the Baltic Sea, and the optical cable was completely cut off.
Editor-in-Chief: Lin Yan #
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2024-11-27 19:27:00
