Underwater sabotage in the Baltic Sea: Who is behind the mysterious incidents?

Underwater sabotage in the Baltic Sea: Who is behind the mysterious incidents?

In the Baltic Sea it is bubbling: Unknown incidents damage pipelines and cables and throw questions!

A worrying pattern has emerged in the Baltic Sea! In the past two years, several incidents have been reported in which underwater pipelines and cables have been damaged. On Sunday and Monday, two fiber optic cables were severed, which immediately suspected of a Chinese cargo ship, which the Danish Navy is currently monitoring in the Kattegat between Denmark and Sweden. This ship, which had left the port of Ust-Luga in Russia on Friday, could have driven above the area where the cables were damaged. Sweden's Prime Minister Ulf Kristerson emphasized that these incidents have to be seriously examined because there have already been sabotage in the past.

The situation in the Baltic Sea is becoming more and more tense! The explosions of the north stream gas pipelines in September 2022 fueled the geopolitical tensions in the region. Despite numerous speculations, no one has taken responsibility for the explosions. These incidents have transformed the region into a focus on international conflicts, especially since Russia attacked Ukraine in 2022. In October 2023, the BalticConnector gas pipeline, which connects Finland and Estonia, was also damaged, which led to further speculation about possible sabotage files. A report indicated that a Chinese container ship may have caused the damage while it was pulling its anchor.

a dangerous game in the underwater area

The geography of the Baltic Sea makes it an ideal place for hybrid warfare. With its narrow waterways and the proximity to several NATO countries, the region is a strategic hub. Experts warn that the incidents in the Baltic Sea could be part of a larger strategy to fuel uncertainty and fear. This type of hybrid warfare enables actors to cause instability without being blamed directly for their actions. The recent incidents, in particular the damage to the cables, raise questions about whether they are targeted attacks or whether they were caused by accidents. Swedish investigators have targeted the Chinese ship Yi Peng 3 while the motifs remain unclear.