There is no doubt in my mind that these incidents are done with intent. My understanding is that these ships are essentially dragging their anchor across the se

There is no doubt in my mind that these incidents are done with intent. My understanding is that these ships are essentially dragging their anchor across the seabed in vulnerable areas, causing the cables to snap. If one wanted to play devil's advocate, you could argue that an anchor malfunction could be to blame, but that doesn't explain why the captain didn't then stop the vessel, why they didn't divert to a safe course.