The 2024 Baltic Sea submarine cable disruptions occurred in November 2024 when the Chinese cargo ship Yi Peng 3, possibly under the influence of Russian intelligence, disrupted two submarine communication cables in the Baltic Sea, prompting accusations from NATO and European officials that Russia was waging hybrid warfare.
The BCS East-West Interlink submarine cable between Lithuania and Sweden was cut at 10 AM on 17 November 2024, and the C-Lion1 cable from Finland to Germany was cut at the same time. On 18 November, a Danish drone discovered that the Chinese cargo ship Yi Peng had destroyed the cables with its anchor. On 19 November 2024, the Royal Danish Navy detained the Chinese vessel, which was kept under guard in the Kattegat from 20 November. On 19 December, a Chinese-German-Swedish-Finnish-Danish investigation team boarded the ship, questioned its crew, and inspected relevant pieces of equipment and documents. On 21 December, Yi Peng continued its voyage to Port Said in Egypt. While US intelligence officials assessed that the cables were not cut deliberately, European authorities did not rule out sabotage, and NATO initiated Operation Baltic Sentry in January 2025.