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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsDanish Military Keeps Watch on Chinese Ship Suspected of Baltic Undersea Cable Sabotage
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(Photo of the Yi Peng 3 by Mikkel Berg Pedersen/ Ritzau Scanpix/AFP via Getty Images)
The Danish Defense Command is monitoring the Chinese cargo ship Yi Peng 3, which is anchored off the coast of Denmark and suspected of being involved in recent damage to fiber-optic communications cables in the Baltic Sea.
Suspicions have been growing in Western capitals that damage to two key Baltic Sea cables was likely the result of deliberate actions.
The Chinese ship, reportedly captained by a Russian naval officer, was sailing from the Russian port of Ust-Luga. The Yi Peng 3 is suspected of having traveled over the area in the Baltic Sea where the cables connecting Sweden and Lithuania are located.
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European governments and Washington have not tied Moscow directly to the damage, but they have accused Russia of orchestrating "hybrid attacks" on Western infrastructure to punish European countries for their assistance and support for Ukraine's military as it tries to repel invading Russian forces.
Some analysts say the ship may have damaged the cables when dragging its anchor.
Ukraine's allies pointed to past incidents of alleged sabotage by Moscow, especially following its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, which recently hit the 1,000-day mark amid devastating losses on both sides.
Authorities in states bordering the Baltic Sea are investigating the cutting of the cables -- the second connects Finland to Germany -- following similar suspicious occurrences in the sea in recent years. Denmark and Germany are already NATO allies and share critical intelligence with Washington.
A year ago, Finland said it couldn't exclude that a "state actor" was responsible for damage to the Balticconnector gas pipeline and a telecommunications cable in the Baltic Sea. The pipeline was damaged by an anchor dropped from the deck of the Chinese container ship Newnew Polar Bear. The ship was not detained and sailed away. Neutral Finland joined NATO on 4 Apr 2023 out of concern of Russian aggression, as did Sweden on 7 Mar 2024.
Moscow has said such allegations are being fabricated by the West to discredit Russia. Chinese officials have not commented on the situation surrounding the Yi Peng 3.
This is a troubling sign that China seems to be working with Russia to conduct sabotage against NATO and the EU. Beijing and Moscow have been increasing their military cooperation. Chinese and Russian jets were intercepted near the Alaska Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ) this past 24 July 2024.
(Photo: NORAD)
Any future Chinese military invasion against the island republic would involve severing such communications cables to isolate Taiwan. Taipei would then be forced to communicate in a less secure digital environment vulnerable to MSS interception and hacking. Two Taiwanese undersea cables were sabotaged in 2023.
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Illustration: The Yomiuri Shimbun
This recent maritime sabotage incident in the Baltic Sea may be a Chinese rehearsal on behalf of the Kremlin. Sabotage against gas/power lines during winter would bring hardship to energy-dependent European countries while punishing them for supporting Ukraine.
Sources:
https://www.rferl.org/a/danish-defense-chinese-ship-yi-peng-baltic-sea-cable-damage/33209361.html
https://www.norad.mil/Newsroom/Press-Releases/Article/3849184/norad-detects-tracks-and-intercepts-russian-and-prc-aircraft-operating-in-the-a/
https://www.nato.int/cps/en/natohq/news_213448.htm
https://www.nato.int/cps/en/natohq/news_223446.htm
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Irish_Dem
(64,085 posts)And that they are winning this war?
C0RI0LANUS
(2,969 posts)The poor soldiers bearing the brunt of this war for now are the Ukrainians, not NATO, Japan, ROK, or Taiwan. Much of the activities and operations Moscow and Beijing direct against the West are espionage and sabotage. So far NATO has avoided a shooting war with Moscow and tiny Taiwan is depending on the US against any future Chinese invasion.
mainer
(12,291 posts)Wow. There it is.
C0RI0LANUS
(2,969 posts)The Chinese and Russians don't have to rely on frog-men or spy subs to sabotage these cables. The Russians have GUGI, for example, like USN Seals, but why deploy them when they have access to hundreds of ships?
Once these vulnerable cables or pipes are located, the Russians or the Chinese can sever or break them cheaply with tremendous anchors from ships like the Yi Peng 3. The ship captain can claim ignorance if he is boarded by NATO naval personnel.
C0RI0LANUS
(2,969 posts)
General of the Army John "Blackjack" Pershing meeting the Soldiers of the AEF circa 1918.
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General of the Army Dwight D. Eisenhower conferring with his Soldiers circa 1944.
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Mark Rutte (L) is the new NATO Secretary-General.
Source:
https://www.nato.int/cps/en/natohq/who_is_who_229125.htm