Sweden investigates suspected subsea cable sabotage

Yesterday, Reuters reported that Swedish prime minister Ulf Kristersson asked the Chinese bulk carrier Yi Peng 3, which had been in the area at the time of the damage, to return to the scene ’to help facilitate an investigation into recent breaches of undersea fibre-optic cables in the Baltic Sea’. He said he was not making accusations, Reuters said.

Sweden’s Police Authority is also assisting the preliminary investigation along with the Swedish Coast Guard.

One of the cables connects Sweden to Lithuania off Gotland, the other connects Finland to Germany, just outside Öland.

The Swedish Coast Guard and Armed Forces are supporting the police with site investigations, which are being organised by the National Operations Department (NOA) and the National Unit Against International and Organised Crime (NIO).

“The preliminary investigation was initiated because we cannot rule out that the cables have been damaged intentionally,” said Per Engström, Commander at NOA. “The crime is currently classified as sabotage, but this may change. It is important that there is greater clarity about the cause of these events.”

The cables, believed to be internet and data cables, were severed on consecutive days, the 17th and 18th November, and both Sweden and Finland have reportedly deployed their navies with advanced equipment to analyse the seabed.

With rumours circling on social media, the NOA has called on the public ‘to take part in verified information from authorities and not to spread unconfirmed information’.

The Swedish Coast Guard said the cables were fibre optic, but there was no other information at the time of writing.

“The Coast Guard is in contact with other relevant authorities and provides the support requested in the investigation,” it said. “Among other things, we can help collect and share information about the sea situation, such as ship movements or other phenomena or events at sea.”

Swedish defence minister Pal Jonson confirmed that the authorities were looking at the incident as suspected sabotage but did not make further comment on rumours about the Chinese vessel in the vicinity.