Sweden has requested the cooperation of a Chinese cargo ship, Yi Peng 3, which passed near damaged communication cables in the Baltic Sea, to enter Swedish territorial waters for further investigation.
Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson confirmed the move, stating that Sweden hopes to relocate the vessel into its waters to assist in clarifying the circumstances surrounding the cable damage.
“We have been in contact with the ship and China and have informed them that we would like the vessel to move into Swedish waters,” Kristersson said. However, he emphasized that this request should not be seen as an accusation but rather a step to ensure full cooperation in the investigation.
The Yi Peng 3 came under scrutiny after two communication cables in the Baltic Sea were damaged under unclear circumstances. The ship was passing over the cables around the time of the damage. Since last week, the vessel has been anchored in international waters between Denmark and Sweden, an area also within Denmark’s exclusive economic zone. Danish naval vessels have been monitoring the ship, with a German ship and a Russian missile boat also seen in the vicinity.
On November 21, the Swedish navy shared initial findings after surveying the seabed near the site of the damaged cables.
