A Chinese cargo ship deliberately severed two crucial data cables in the Baltic Sea by dragging an anchor 110 miles (180 kilometers) along the seabed while off radar, in an attack orchestrated by the Kremlin, a new report says.
European officials were apoplectic after key cables from Lithuania and Sweden, and Finland and Germany were cut on November 17 and 18.
German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said he believed it was likely sabotage, while ministers from other countries warned the attack was likely part of a “hybrid warfare” that experts said Europe is “completely unprepared for.”
Now a new report from the Wall Street Journal claims that Russia was behind the attack, and that China was not involved.
European investigators told the newspaper that the giant bulk carrier Yi Peng 3 – 225 meters long, 32 meters wide and loaded with Russian fertilizer – had disabled its radar system and dropped anchor as it glided through Swedish waters to connect the cable between Sweden and Lithuania by cutting. around 9:00 PM local time on November 17.
Six hours later, the Ying Peng 3, owned and operated by Ningbo Yipeng Shipping, reportedly cut the Germany-Lithuania cable after traveling about 180 kilometers. It then began to zigzag before hauling up its anchor and sailing on.
A senior researcher indicated that the ship’s course must have been deliberate: ‘It is extremely unlikely that the captain would not have noticed his ship falling and dragging anchor, losing speed for hours and cutting cables along the way.’
Danish naval vessels chased the ship and forced it to anchor Kattegat Strait, which connects the Baltic Sea and the North Sea. An initial investigation revealed that the ship’s anchor and hull were damaged in a manner consistent with damage caused by deliberate towing.
European investigators said the massive Yi Peng 3 bulk carrier (pictured) was responsible for cutting the cables
Vladimir Putin’s Russia (pictured) is believed to be behind the cable attacks
NATO ships are now guarding the ship while Swedish and German authorities negotiate with the ship’s owner to gain access to the ship and the ship’s crew for further investigation.
Experts have warned that European countries are ‘totally unprepared’ for a new era of hybrid warfare that Russia appears to be embarking on.
A former senior European official told the Guardian that the EU is “totally unprepared” to confront Moscow in its campaign of “hybrid” warfare, and lacks the means to effectively counter sabotage, arson, assassination and attacks on infrastructure .
They said Europe could expect to see more “hybrid” attacks on the continent in the wake of the US decision to allow the use of long-range ATACMS missiles against targets deep inside Russia.
Since the start of the war in Ukraine, Russia has been accused of trying to destabilize the West and its allies by allegedly “weaponizing mass migration” along its western border; sabotaging Nord Stream pipelines that supply gas to Europe; influencing elections in Moldova and Georgia; blocking GPS aircraft; and even sending exploding sex toys to Western Europe.
The recent disruption of trade and energy, and thwarted attacks on companies providing aid to Ukraine, have raised fears that Europe remains woefully underequipped to counter Russia’s unconventional strategies.
British and EU ministers said Russia’s hybrid attacks were “escalating” and “unprecedented” in scale, posing security risks.
“We know that Russia has the ability and willingness to commit sabotage in Europe,” said Finnish Defense Minister Antti Häkkänen, urging better protection of critical infrastructure.
A Swedish artillery team fires a projectile from a howitzer during a NATO training on Wednesday
Bubbles rise to the surface during a leak in the Nord Stream gas pipelines in 2022
“This is closer to terrorism, the aim of which is to intimidate the population and influence decision-making, and influence support for Ukraine, a senior European security official told the Guardian.
US State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said separately that Russia would be held “responsible” for any further actions, while condemning a broader trend of what he called “hybrid warfare by Russia both in Europe and around the world.” mentioned.
Britain has been shadowing Russian naval vessels and reconnaissance aircraft near its own coastal waters and airspace for more than a year, presumably in the area to test NATO’s response time, tactics, weapons and patterns through enticing interceptions.
British fighter jets pushed back Russian bombers into international airspace near Scotland in April last year. The planes are filled with communications and reconnaissance equipment to help track submarines.
Vlad Şutea, founder and chief analyst at T-Intelligence, told MailOnline ‘the Russian[s] deliberately testing the RAF and NATO’s overall QRA response (time and tactics), while also monitoring maritime movements.’
Russian ships in the North Sea and the Baltic Sea have also caused increasing concern among NATO countries in the region.