Stockholm [Sweden], November 30 : Sweden has formally requested China to cooperate with a probe into suspected sabotage over the sudden disruption of two submarine internet cables in the Baltic Sea earlier this month, as tracking data linked a Chinese ship to the incidents, CNN reported.
Speaking to reporters on Thursday, Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson said, "Sweden has sent a formal request to China to cooperate with Swedish authorities in order to create clarity on what has happened," CNN reported.
He stated that Sweden has asked Chinese authorities to send the ship to Swedish waters to aid its investigation. It is pertinent to mention here that the vessel is currently anchored in international waters in the Kattegat strait between Denmark and Sweden.
The two cables - one named Arelion, which connects Finland and Germany, and the other named C-Lion 1 linking Sweden to Lithuania were cut within 24 hours of each other November 17 and 18.
The incident took place just weeks after the US warned that Russia was likely to target critical undersea infrastructure. At the time, German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius had stated that "no one believes that the cables were accidentally damaged," CNN reported.
Last week, the Swedish Prosecution Authority announced that the country's National Unit against International and Organized Crime had initiated a preliminary probe into suspected sabotage over the cut cables. Moreover, Finland's National Bureau of Investigation announced that it had initiated a probe.
Vessel tracking data from Kpler has revealed that a Chinese bulk carrier had crossed the two undersea communications cables around the time when each of the cable was reported cut.
The vessel, named Yi Pen 3, was sailing out of the Baltic Sea after a stop in the port of Vistino, Russia. According to the tracking data, the vessel crossed other undersea infrastructure in the Baltic, including four gas and oil pipelines, a power line and another telecommunications cable which was under construction, according to CNN report.
When asked regarding the ship during the press briefing on Wednesday, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said he was "not aware of the situation" and added that Chinese ships "abide by relevant laws and regulations."
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