International investigators believe that a Chinese commercial vessel deliberately cut two undersea data cables last week as it dragged its anchor more than 100 miles along the seabed of the Baltic Sea.

The Yi Peng 3 bulk carrier, which is 246 yards long and 35 yards wide, was loaded with Russian fertilizer on Nov. 17-18 when the damage to the telecommunications cables occurred in Swedish waters.

According to The Wall Street Journal, the investigation now centers on whether the captain of the Chinese-owned ship was compelled to carry out the sabotage by Russian intelligence agencies. If so, it would be the latest in a series of attacks on European infrastructure that authorities say have been masterminded by Moscow.

"It's extremely unlikely that the captain would not have noticed that his ship dropped and dragged its anchor, losing speed for hours and cutting cables on the way," a senior European investigator working on the case told the Journal.

Ningbo Yipeng Shipping, the Chinese company which owns the vessel, is reportedly cooperating with the investigation and has permitted the ship to be stopped in international waters. Russia has denied any wrongdoing.

According to investigators, the ship departed the Russian Baltic port of Ust-Luga on Nov. 15 and dropped anchor but remained underway in Swedish waters until around 9 p.m. local time on Nov. 17. Two people familiar with the probe told the Journal that the dragging anchor severed the first cable, which connects Sweden and Lithuania, shortly afterward.

The ship's transponder, which tracks its movements on the Automatic Identification System, was shut down during that time. The ship continued to move while the dragging anchor significantly reduced its speed, satellite and other data shows.

Around 3 a.m. the next day, investigators say that the Yi Peng 3 severed the second cable that connects Germany and Finland, after having traveled approximately 111 miles. It then began to zigzag, raised anchor, and continued on its way before being intercepted and forced to anchor in the Kattegat Strait by Danish Navy ships.

People familiar with the probe told the Journal that the damage sustained by the vessel's anchor and hull was consistent with dragging its anchor and cutting cables.

An analysis prepared for the Journal by international shipping data analytics company Kpler said that "the likelihood of accidental anchor dragging appears minimal" considering "the mild weather conditions and manageable wave heights."

The crew of the Yi Peng 3, which includes a Russian sailor and a Chinese captain, has so far not been questioned, the Journal's sources said.

Several Western law-enforcement and intelligence officials told the outlet that while they suspected that Russian intelligence agencies had orchestrated the sabotage, they didn't think the Chinese government was involved.

"These are absurd, unsubstantiated accusations," the Kremlin press office told the Journal, adding that the same Western officials who accuse Russia were silent when Ukraine blew up the Nord Stream gas pipelines, referring to the accusation relating to the 2022 sabotage.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning told reporters on Wednesday that Beijing has consistently supported "working with all countries to maintain the security of international submarine cables and other infrastructure in accordance with international law."

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