According to the Wall Street Journal, European investigators say the Chinese merchant ship intentionally dragged its anchor around to cut two critical data cables.
The Chinese ship had just left Russia carrying Russian fertilizer while passing through the Baltic Sea. Investigators say they believe the attack may have been orchestrated by Russian intelligence and that the Chinese government was not involved. The Kremlin denied these claims.
The investigation is in a precarious situation. NATO countries cannot legally request Chinese ships to enter their ports, so Swedish and German officials are negotiating with the shipowners to gain access to the ship and its crew. The Wall Street Journal also reported that German police had sent a drone to investigate the downed cable and the ocean floor.
This is not the only incident this year in which European authorities suspect Russia of damaging critical infrastructure. But sabotage can be very difficult to prove, and authorities often fail to press charges directly.