Captain's Plea: Undersea Cable Chaos in the Baltic

The captain of a Hong Kong-registered cargo ship, Wan Wenguo, has entered a not guilty plea in response to allegations that his vessel caused damage to undersea cables in the Baltic Sea. The incident, which reportedly involved the severing of a natural gas pipeline and submarine telecom cables between Finland and Estonia, occurred in October 2023.

According to Finnish investigators, the vessel known as NewNew Polar Bear dragged its anchor, causing substantial damage. Investigations by Finnish authorities uncovered a broken anchor near the site, believed to belong to the ship. The charge against Wan includes criminal damage and neglecting safety conventions.

The case has highlighted heightened security concerns in the region, already on edge due to past disruptions to infrastructure since the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine. While further evidence is awaited, prosecutors have not yet linked Russia to the latest damage, despite suspicious parallels.