The Swedish police have boarded a Chinese-flagged cargo ship, the Yi Peng 3, in international waters as part of an ongoing investigation into suspected sabotage of undersea communication cables in the Baltic Sea in November 2023. While the boarding was facilitated by the Danish authorities, as the ship is anchored in the Danish economic zone, the Swedish police emphasized that their presence was solely observational. Chinese authorities, who are conducting their own investigation aboard the vessel, invited the Swedish police to observe. The Swedish police’s investigation into the cable incidents is separate from this Chinese investigation. This boarding marks a significant development in the investigation, given the Yi Peng 3’s previous reluctance to enter Swedish waters, despite a request from Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson.
The Yi Peng 3 became a focal point in the investigation after the damage to two undersea communication cables, one connecting Germany and Finland, the other connecting Sweden and Lithuania, was discovered in mid-November. The ship’s movements placed it near the locations of the damaged cables, both of which lie within the Swedish economic zone, around the time of the suspected sabotage. This proximity, coupled with the sensitive nature of the damaged infrastructure, quickly drew the attention of several countries, including Sweden, Finland, and Lithuania, who subsequently formed a joint investigative team to determine the cause of the damage.
Following the discovery of the cable damage, the Yi Peng 3 was tracked by the Danish navy as it navigated through the Kattegat strait, the body of water separating Denmark and Sweden. After initially passing through Danish territorial waters, the ship abruptly slowed and stopped in international waters between Sweden and Denmark, where it has remained anchored for over a month. While the ship’s presence in the Danish economic zone allows for some Danish oversight, international maritime law significantly limits Denmark’s jurisdiction compared to if the vessel were in Danish territorial waters. This legal complexity further complicates the ongoing investigation and underscores the challenges in compelling the Yi Peng 3 to cooperate with Swedish authorities.
Throughout the ship’s prolonged stay in international waters, a multinational maritime presence has been maintained in the vicinity. The Swedish coast guard initially monitored the Yi Peng 3, followed by German vessels. The Danish navy has also maintained a constant presence in the area. Despite this sustained observation, the Yi Peng 3 has remained anchored of its own volition, as confirmed by Ewa Skoog Haslum, former head of the Swedish Navy and current chief of operations for the Swedish Armed Forces. This voluntary anchoring raises questions about the ship’s motives and adds to the intrigue surrounding the incident. It also highlights the limitations of international maritime law in compelling a vessel in international waters to cooperate with an investigation.
The situation is further complicated by the appearance of a Russian vessel in the area, detected only by Morse code transmissions of weather data sent back to Russia. This vessel, which has deactivated its transponder, rendering it invisible to conventional radar tracking, underscores the heightened geopolitical sensitivities in the Baltic Sea region. The presence of both the Yi Peng 3 and the unidentified Russian vessel near the site of the cable damage adds a layer of complexity to the ongoing investigation and raises concerns about potential involvement of multiple actors in the incident. The lack of transparency surrounding the Russian vessel’s presence and purpose further fuels speculation and underscores the challenges of maintaining maritime security in the region.
The ongoing investigation into the damaged Baltic Sea cables underscores the vulnerabilities of critical undersea infrastructure and the complexities of international maritime law. The Yi Peng 3’s prolonged stay in international waters, coupled with the appearance of a Russian vessel, highlights the challenges in conducting a thorough investigation and ensuring accountability for potential acts of sabotage. The incident also emphasizes the importance of international cooperation in addressing maritime security concerns and the need for clearer legal frameworks to deal with similar situations in the future. The investigation continues, with the Swedish authorities’ boarding of the Yi Peng 3 representing a potentially significant step towards uncovering the truth behind the cable damage. However, the numerous unanswered questions surrounding the incident, including the motives of those involved and the full extent of the damage, leave much to be determined.
