Swedish authorities found no conclusive evidence that the Chinese-flagged bulk carrier Yi Peng 3 intentionally severed two subsea cables in the Baltic Sea. Although the Swedish Accident Investigation Authority noted the vessel dragged its anchor for 180 nautical miles, they could not definitively determine intent, citing risks involved in such actions. Recent cable damages have heightened tensions in the region, especially following geopolitical shifts after Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Access limitations to the ship hindered a full investigation, adding complexity to the overall analysis of the incident.
There are two alternative scenarios for the incident, one of which is that the ship deliberately dropped anchor to cause damage to seabed infrastructure. Arguing against this alternative is the deliberate risk to the ship entailed in releasing the anchor at speed, with high risk that the ship and crew operating the anchor would be seriously harmed during the release.
The other alternative is that the anchor came loose because it was poorly or not at all secured. However the lack of damage to the ship and the length of time the anchor spent on the sea floor speak to some extent against this scenario.
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