Reports indicate that two Danish naval ships pursued the Yi Peng 3 because of its odd behavior. Social media posts claim that the ship was intercepted and stopped. The captain of the Yi Peng 3 was identified as a Russian citizen, further increasing suspicions of Moscow’s possible involvement in apparent sabotage.
Independent Russian outlet Agentstvo contacted the "Russian captain" of the ship suspected of damaging the cables in Baltic Sea. He stated that he works as a pilot and allegedly left the bulk carrier near Russia's Ust-Luga. However, he confirmed that he helped navigate Yi Peng 3 out of the port of Ust-Luga. The individual in question was identified as Stechentsev.
German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius suggested that the damage to the underwater cables might have been "intentional." One theory is that the cables could have been damaged by an anchor or bottom trawler. The Chinese cargo ship Yi Peng 3 has come under suspicion due to its unusual routes at the time of the cables malfunctioning.