DAMAGE to an undersea communication cable was an act of sabotage, politicians have claimed, after the C-Lion 1 cable was severed on Monday, November 18.

German defence minister Boris Pistorius told EU defence ministers in Brussels that he thought the damage was deliberate, German newspaper Die Zeit reported.

Shortly after the cable was damaged, the foreign ministries of Finland and Germany said they were “deeply concerned about the severed undersea cable connecting Finland and Germany in the Baltic Sea”.

“The fact that such an incident immediately raises suspicions of intentional damage speaks volumes about the volatility of our times.

“Our European security is not only under threat from Russia‘s war of aggression against Ukraine, but also from hybrid warfare by malicious actors”, the two said.

The Swedish and Lithuanian ministers for defence said, “situations like these must be assessed with the growing threat posed by Russia in our neighbourhood as a backdrop”.

“This includes an increased number of hybrid activities in Europe.”

Danish and Finnish media have reported that China-flagged, 2001-built, 75,121 dwt bulk carrier Yi Peng 3 (IMO: 9224984) is connected with the event.

Danish newspaper Berlingske said damage Danish naval vessels had been following the bulker on Tuesday.

Lloyd’s List Intelligence data shows Danish naval vessel HDMS Soeloeven circling Yi Peng 3 on the evening of November 19.

It also shows Yi Peng 3’s journey from Ust-Luga, Russia, between November 15 and November 18, which very closely matches the C-Lion cable, though this route is commonly taken by bulkers transiting the Baltic Sea from Ust-Luga.

Yi Peng 3 has been stationary since it was met by HDMS Soeloeven on Tuesday evening.

The Danish Defence Force confirmed its presence in the area near Yi Peng 3, but would not comment any further. 

The governments of Sweden, Lithuania, Germany and Finland have all opened investigations.

This is not the first time vessels associated with China have been accused of damaging underwater cables. Finnish police concluded that Hong Kong-flagged boxship Newnew Polar Bear (IMO: 9313204) was responsible for damage to an undersea gas pipeline in October 2023.

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