Swedish police boarded the Chinese bulk carrier Yi Peng 3 on Thursday, a vessel central to an investigation into the recent sabotage of two undersea fiber-optic cables in the Baltic Sea, Reuters reports.
The boarding, however, occurred at the invitation of Chinese authorities and Swedish investigators acted solely as observers while the Chinese conducted their own inquiries.
The Yi Peng 3 has been under scrutiny since two undersea cables, one linking Finland and Germany, and the other connecting Sweden and Lithuania, were damaged on November 17 and 18. German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius immediately declared his belief that the damage was caused by sabotage. The vessel, which departed the Russian port of Ust-Luga on November 15, was quickly identified as a person of interest due to its proximity to the damaged cables at the time of the incidents.
The incidents occurred within Sweden’s exclusive economic zone, prompting a Swedish-led investigation into suspected sabotage. While the Swedish police emphasized that Thursday’s actions aboard the ship were not part of the ongoing Swedish investigation, the vessel had been stationary in nearby waters for a month while diplomatic discussions between Stockholm and Beijing took place. Danish authorities facilitated the boarding, as the Yi Peng 3 is currently anchored in the Kattegat strait between Denmark and Sweden.
Western intelligence officials from multiple countries have expressed confidence that the Yi Peng 3 is responsible for the cable cuts, though opinions diverge on whether the damage was accidental or intentional. Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson previously urged the ship to return to Sweden to cooperate with the investigation.
