Cargo Ship Suspected of Sabotage Boarded

And Denmark sends another military donation to Ukraine

Cable Sabotage

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Representatives from Sweden, Denmark, Germany, and Finland, along with authorities from China, spent about five hours onboard the Chinese cargo ship Yi Peng 3 today. According to Danish Foreign Affairs Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen, his office helped facilitate a meeting between all the countries involved to try and find a way forward.

“I can inform you that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs facilitated a meeting between Finland, Sweden, Germany, and China on Monday and Tuesday. Representatives from the four countries have been to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to see if we could create a situation where an inspection could be carried out on the Chinese ship.”

Image courtesy of SVT Nyheter

The ship was initially supposed to be boarded on Tuesday, but bad weather forced the delay until Thursday.

The actual investigation onboard and the questioning of the crew were done by Chinese authorities with representatives from the other countries observing.

Among them was the Swedish police's National Operational Department Unit Head, Per Engström.

“Our task here is to be observers; we are not allowed to take any active measures on board. We are there observing what the Chinese authorities are doing.”

Among the Swedish contingent were three maritime investigators and the National Accident Commission’s Director General John Ahlberk.

“If possible, we hope to hear the crew describe the incident and also participate in technical investigations.”

DBU Maritime Law Professor Kristina Siig was fascinated by today’s turn of events.

“It is not at all normal that we get a solution where so many countries are involved and where it appears that all countries are comfortable with it. I am quite impressed by that. This is how a situation should end, where a solution is found that everyone, including China, can agree on.”

The million-dollar question is, what happens now? The Chinese cargo ship has been at anchor in the Kattegat Strait, surrounded by naval vessels from Denmark, Germany, and Sweden, for a month. Technically, because it is anchored in the Danish economic zone and not in any country’s territorial waters, it technically could have left at any time. There is some suggestion that it might now resume its journey.

Kristina Siig says it’s anyone’s guess what happens next.

“It depends on what they find on board and what the crew tells them.”

At the time of writing, neither the Danish, Swedish, Finnish, German, nor Chinese authorities have announced any details about today's investigations on board Yi Peng 3.

The cargo ship appears to be the prime suspect in the deliberate sabotage of two undersea data cables in the Baltic.

🇺🇦Ukraine/ Russia War🇷🇺

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Denmark chose today to announce its 23rd military donation package for Ukraine. The donation is valued at 2.1 billion Danish kroner (about $419 million Cdn) and is targeted at “strengthening Ukraine’s air defenses.” Denmark’s Ministry of Defense didn’t provide much in the way of specifics, only that funds are in part earmarked to strengthen Ukrainian air defenses and for “the operation of the Ukrainian F-16 capability.”

Defense Minister Troels Lund Poulsen:

"One of Ukraine's most pressing needs right now is to be able to defend itself against the Russian airstrikes. That is why we have prioritized more support for air defence. In addition, the package contains a financial contribution to the operation of Ukraine's combat aircraft capacity, which Denmark has played a special role in building with both the donation of F-16 combat aircraft and the training of personnel.”

In addition, Denmark, in cooperation with Sweden, will donate “a number of CV90 infantry fighting vehicles.” The CV90 armoured vehicles are made in Sweden.

The donation will come from Denmark’s special Ukraine Fund, which is designed to finance military donations to Ukraine for the next decade.