Newnew-Polar-Bear

Wan Wenguo, 44, the Chinese captain of the 'New New Polar Bear', pleaded not guilty to charges of damaging a gas pipeline and several telecommunications cables in the Baltic Sea, being accused of property damage. The indictment stated that he "negligently" and "without legal justification" damaged property belonging to others. Before a court in Hong Kong, the captain of the container ship also rejected two further charges relating to violations of maritime safety regulations. According to Finnish investigators, the ship severed the Balticconnector gas pipeline between Finland and Estonia with its anchor in Oct 2023. Police later found a broken anchor on the seabed, which was proven to belong to the ship. The ship had previously damaged three telecommunications cables on its way to a port near St. Petersburg, Russia. However, the investigation proved difficult. There had been no response to the request for legal assistance that Finland sent to Hong Kong, according to the Finnish prosecutor Ari-Pekka Koivisto. A request from Estonia has also gone unanswered. The Baltic region has been on high alert for potential sabotage since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022. NATO has increased its military presence in the area.

A lawyer for the Chinese captain Wan Wenguo, 43, of the 'New New Polar Bear', who was alleged to have caused "criminal damage" to the underwater natural gas pipeline Balticconnector and submarine telecom cables between Finland and Estonia by dragging its anchor along the seabed on Oct 8, 2023, according to a Hong Kong charge sheet, said on Jan 20, 2026, that 18 witnesses would be called to testify in the case. 10 witnesses would testify for the criminal damage charge, including crew members, Hong Kong officials, and two experts in maritime matters. The charge sheet stated that Wan had been "reckless" and "without lawful excuse damaged the property belonging to another". Wan Wenguo, appeared in court on Jan 20, but his lawyer, Jerry Chung, said more time was needed to go through documents before entering a plea. The case was adjourned to Feb 11. The maximum punishment is two years in prison.

The 'Newnew Polar Bear', known for damaging the Balticconnector pipeline and communication cables in the Gulf of Finland, was the first Chinese container ship to arrive in the port of Arkhangelsk in 2025. It arrived on Aug 15 and delivered 497 containers, marking the start of the season under the expanded Arctic Express N1 service. The service connects the ports of Shanghai and Ningbo to Arkhangelsk, offering a shorter shipping option compared with the Suez Canal route. Arkhangelsk is a federally significant transport hub managed under Russian jurisdiction, handling container, general, and bulk cargo. The Northern Sea Route (NSR) is a Russian state-administered shipping lane that runs along the Arctic coast of Russia, from the Kara Sea to the Bering Strait. The route is regulated by Russian federal authorities, with access requiring official permits.

Two years after damaging the Balticconnector pipeline and communication cables in the Gulf of Finland, the 'Newnew Polar Bear' has set sail for the Arctic again. Ot received a permit for Russia’s Northern Sea Route on July 22 and is currently heading north in the Sea of Japan in the direction of the Bering Strait. Russian authorities cleared the vessel to transit the Arctic in both westward and eastward directions between Aug 1 and Oct 31. This will be the vessel’s first return to Europe and the Arctic since the incident. Beijing officials initially had claimed that the dragging of the anchor was an accident caused by severe storm conditions, though meteorological conditions at the time were mild for the Baltic Sea in fall. Investigators and industry experts remained skeptical that the vessel could have accidentally dragged its anchor unnoticed for more than 100 nautical miles. The 'Newnew Polar Bear' incident caused more than $40 million in damages and for months disrupted regional energy and communication infrastructure. A criminal case against the captain Wan Wenguo is currently winding its way through the Chinese court system, with another round of hearings not before September 2025.

On July 4, 2025, the Chinese master of the ''NewNew Polar Bear' made his first appearance in a Hong Kong Court after being charged by the Chinese maritime authority with having caused criminal damage, after the vessel was determined to have dragged its anchor across a natural gas pipeline and communication cables in the Baltic. Again, at issue is the intent or if it was reckless behavior that caused the damage. The Finish authorities have been investigating the case of the 'NewNew Polar Bear' and others in the Baltic but have yet to reach a decision if they will file charges. The utility companies Fingrid and Elering initially detained the shadow fleet tanker 'Eagle S' in the most recent incident but released the vessel while seeking compensation in the courts. The Finish prosecutors have been reviewing the details of the 'Eagle S' case, while the captain and the first and second officers of the tanker remained under suspicion and have been ordered not to leave Finland. A decision to prosecute is expected by September.

Wan Wenguo, aged 43, the Chinese captain of the 'NewNew Polar Bear' has been remanded in custody by a Hong Kong court over accusations that his vessel caused serious damage to the Balticconnector gas pipeline and a nearby telecoms cable while passing through the Gulf of Finland on Oct 8, 2023. He appeared in Eastern Court in Hong Kong on May 8, 2025, where he was charged with one count of criminal damage and two charges related to marine safety violations under Hong Kong laws The pipeline damage occurred within Finland’s economic zone, while the telecommunications cable was damaged in Estonia’s waters. The prosecutors in Hong Kong accused Wan of being responsible for the damage caused during the ship’s voyage between October and December 2023. They claimed thatr he failed to ensure the vessel had enough anchors and also failed to submit required daily reports to the ship’s owner.These actions have violated safety provisions under the Merchant Shipping (Safety) Ordinance, including regulations concerning navigational equipment and vessel maintenance. The court hearing concluded with the captain being remanded in custody, as he did not submit a bail application. The next court session has been scheduled for early July, giving the authorities more time to continue investigations. The case has drawn global attention due to the strategic importance of the damaged infrastructure and ongoing tensions in the Baltic Sea. The Finnish police is believing that the pipeline was damaged by a dragged anchor and later confirmed that the vessel was missing one of its front anchors. The Chinese authorities have conducted their own investigation and concluded that the damage was accidental, caused by a strong storm. The Estonian officials have stated that China’s findings were not legally valid as official evidence in their case. China’s Foreign Ministry, in a statement issued in May 2024, acknowledged that the 'NewNew Polar Bear' was involved in the incident, but denied that the damage was intentional. They also said that China was willing to cooperate with Estonia. The Estonian prosecutors reported they had not received any response to a formal request for legal assistance from the Chinese authorities. The Prosecutor’s Office in Tallinn stated that they could not yet determine what data China might have collected or how it could influence further legal steps. After the incident, the ship had switched from the Hong Kong flag to the Panamanian flag. ´It s operated by the Hainan Yangpu NewNew Shipping and is insured by the Longon P&I Club. Under Hong Kong law, authorities have the power to prosecute crimes committed on board Hong Kong-registered ships even if the incidents occur in international waters,

Chinese authorities attributed the pipeline damage caused by the 'Newnew Polar Bear' to an accident during a severe storm. China has, for the first time, acknowledged that the reefer was responsible for damaging the Balticconnector gas pipeline last October. An internal investigation by China has been conducted, with the findings shared with relevant parties. The report produced by Chinese investigators cannot be used as evidence in ongoing investigations by Estonia and Finland. Estonia had not received the report and in no case can be used as evidence in Estonia's criminal investigation, as Chinese authorities had not invited Estonian investigators to participate in the probe. The authorities had submitted a request for legal assistance to collect evidence from the vessel and its crew. To fulfil this request. The Chinese authorities have yet to respond to the request. Regarding Finland’s National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), there has been cooperation with Chinese authorities, including a request for legal assistance. The investigation is still ongoing, and final conclusions about the incident can only be made once all necessary investigative measures have been completed, which will take some time. The Finnish Ministry for Foreign Affairs directed inquiries to the NBI for further information on the case. Finland is continuously cooperating with China and exchanging information.