Are Russia and China to blame for the sabotage of submarine cables?

While the USA is considering an accidental cause for the two separate incidents within a day of each other, involving the cutting of two submarine internet cables in the Baltic Sea, European officials are accusing Russia and China of sabotage.

Two Internet cables, one linking Lithuania to Sweden and the other linking Finland to Germany, were suddenly cut within a day of each other, on Sunday November 17 and Monday November 18.

The blackouts occurred after a ship left its anchor dragging at the bottom of the ocean, in two incidents that many consider deliberate acts of sabotage.

A Chinese vessel, the bulk carrier Yi Peng 3, coming from a Russian port, crossed both cables at around the time each was cut, according to tracking data.

The Yi Peng 3 has been closely monitored in the Baltic Sea since these events.

The two submarine communication cables, one linking Finland to continental Europe via Germany (C-Lion 1), were cut at around 4am local time on Monday, while the other, linking Lithuania to the island of Gotland in Sweden, was cut at around 10am local time on Sunday.

On November 20, the Yi Peng 3 was monitored by a Danish patrol vessel while anchored in international waters in the Kattegat, around 30 miles off the coasts of Denmark and Sweden.

On the same day, the Danish navy announced that it was tracking a Chinese cargo ship in the Baltic Sea, a day after Finland and Sweden launched investigations into possible sabotage of the two undersea telecommunications cables cut by the vessel.

The United States believes that the accident theory should be considered, as this is not the first time such an incident has occurred.